


Distraction

by Jessy Ellis (heyjessypants)



Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-08-23 20:42:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 25,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20217937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyjessypants/pseuds/Jessy%20Ellis
Summary: Persephone hides out at Hades's place for a little bit.





	1. Chapter 1

Persephone lay in Hades’s guest bed, in the dark, staring at the ceiling. She’d been staring for two hours, her mind racing with the events of the last four days, her body acutely aware of the god sleeping just a short walk down the hall. She shifted irritably. It was distracting. 

It was Wednesday night - or was it Thursday morning now? - and the second night she’d slept at Hades’s house to avoid going home. To avoid  _ him _ . Hades graciously opened up his home to her when she asked, and all he asked in return was, “Is something going on? Do you want to talk about it?” She declined, and he hadn’t brought it up again.

She dozed intermittently, waking with a start every time the house made some strange new noise. She had just started to drift away again when she was jolted awake by a strangled cry of, “NO!” coming from somewhere down the hall. She lay frozen, listening, as quiet seconds ticked by, but she heard nothing else.

Unnerved, she sat up and swung her bare legs over the edge of the bed. She stood and stretched briefly, then groped in the dark until she found the door and crept toward the faint blue light that she thought must be coming from Hades’s room.

She listened intently as she approached the door, but heard nothing. She peeked inside. Pale ambient light poured in through huge floor-to-ceiling windows that filled the entire wall opposite. Once her eyes adjusted from the featureless black of the hallway she saw Hades sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands, the lines of his broad shoulders silhouetted against the window behind him.

She padded over to him quietly, hesitant, wondering if she was intruding but concerned about his obvious distress. As she approached he looked up, his eyes widening in surprise. 

“Persephone,” he breathed, “Is everything alright?” His hands dropped to his lap as he straightened.

“I’m alright,” she whispered back, creeping closer until she was standing almost between his knees. She peered down at him. “Are you? I heard you cry out.”

Hades’s eyes widened further. “You heard...I’m so sorry, Persephone. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t,” Persephone lied. “I couldn’t sleep. Did you have a bad dream? Do you want to talk about it?”

Hades stared up at her for a moment, then took her hands in his. “I don’t think I do right now, but…” he hesitated and looked down, embarrassed. “Would you stay with me for a little while?”

“Of course I will. What can I do to help?”

Hades looked up at her and swallowed hard. “Would you...would you hold me for a bit?”

Persephone looked down into those eyes, looking at her with hope and fear and need, and nodded, heart pounding. Hades, still holding her hands, pulled her toward him and slowly wrapped his arms around her waist. Persephone stroked his hair as he lay his head on her chest, and he pulled her closer, closer still, drawing her in until she was on his lap.

* * *

“NO!” 

Hades jerked up as he tore himself out of sleep, cold sweat prickling his forehead and cheeks. He drew a shaking hand down his face. 

“Thank gods I see my therapist tomorrow.”

He didn't want to lay back down, didn't want to sleep. He swung his bare legs over the side of the bed and sat there, his head dropping into his hands. 

Why was he having the dream again? It had been more than a year since the last rash of nightmares. He'd thought he finally managed to process the trauma and move on. 

Apparently not. 

Suddenly he felt someone quietly approaching him. He looked up.

“Persephone,” he breathed.

Persephone stood between his knees, regarding him with concern. Her short hair was tousled, and she was virtually swimming in the old “Property of the Underworld” t-shirt he lent her to sleep in. 

_ Oh gods, I yelled in my sleep and woke her up. _

Hades's fingers twisted in his lap. 

_ Why couldn’t she sleep? Was she too cold? _

He reached out and gently took her hands, engulfing them in his huge palms. 

_ Gods...I don’t want to be alone. _

He looked down and swallowed hard. 

_ I...I need to touch her… _

He slowly drew her into his lap, his arms wrapped around her little waist. She settled her round bottom on his thighs and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, resting her cheek on the top of his head and stroking his hair, murmuring comforting nonsense.

Hades buried his face in Persephone’s neck, inhaling the sleepy scent of her. She began to rock him slowly, back and forth. He felt the walls he’d built up to protect himself in his solitude start to crumble. A jumble of feelings welled up from his chest until he felt like he would choke on them. He squeezed her tighter and began to shake.

With a gasping sob, Hades - King of the Underworld, God of the Dead - began to cry.

* * *

Persephone clung to the god sobbing in her arms, emotion rolling off him in such waves that she was overwhelmed by it. Tears slid down down her own cheeks as she stroked hair, cheek, neck, and shoulder in what felt like a futile attempt to comfort him in the face of such powerful grief and sadness, but eventually the sobbing slowed to weeping, then to sniffles, then to silence.

Persephone couldn’t say how long they sat like that, taking silent comfort in each other’s touch, but after a while the natural cold of the Underworld started seeping into her skin despite Hades’s warm arms wrapped around her. She shivered.

Without a word, Hades gathered her up and started walking toward the door.

“Where are we going?” Persephone asked.

“I’m taking you back to your room,” he replied, his voice husky from crying. “You’re cold, and you should sleep.”

“I...I’d like to stay here. With you,” Hades looked down at her and quirked an eyebrow. “If that’s alright,” she finished in a shy whisper.

Hades hesitated, and she felt what seemed like an almost involuntary squeeze where his hands held her at rib cage and thigh. 

“Please?”

Hades paused a moment longer, then turned. Never letting go of her, he stepped up onto the bed and sank down in the middle, cross-legged, Persephone still cradled in his lap. He laid back slowly, pulling her with him. He moved his legs out from under her, turning her back toward his chest, and curled himself around her. He pulled the blankets up over them both.

It didn’t take long for the heat radiating off Hades to warm Persephone in their cocoon of blankets and she sighed, eyes drooping. His right arm was wrapped protectively around her waist. The left arm served as a pillow, bent at the elbow so his hand could stroke her hair. She was vaguely aware of his hard thighs pressed against her bottom and his muscled chest against her back but the warmth and spent emotion proved to be a powerful cocktail and Persephone quickly faded into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Hades lay awake listening to the soft breathing of the small pink goddess in his arms.  _ Why on earth did I put her in bed like this? I could have just set her down and let her get into bed on her own. _ But he knew that it was sheer reluctance to break the physical bond between them. If he were being totally honest with himself, he would have gotten into her bed in the guest room with her, if she’d asked him to, just to maintain that connection.

Hades noticed a slight movement down in the area around his knees. He was puzzled for a moment, then realized that Persephone was rubbing her feet together in her sleep. “Like a cricket,” he murmured to himself, unconsciously pulling her a little closer. 

Persephone’s steady breathing was interrupted as she mumbled something unintelligible and laced the tiny fingers of her right hand together with Hades’s. His breath caught in his throat, but then a small crown of blue flowers sprung up in her hair.

“She even does it in her sleep,” Hades chuckled, eyelids finally getting heavy. He placed a gentle kiss amongst the blue flowers and let himself slide back into slumber, slowly stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.


	2. Chapter 2

Hades woke in the morning to artificial sunlight streaming across his face. Something felt...wrong, but his foggy brain couldn't figure it out. Then it hit him all at once. She was gone. 

His eyes flew open and he saw her. He sighed in relief. Persephone had rolled away from him, most of the way onto her belly, her arms wrapped around the pillow under her head. Her t-shirt got rucked up and twisted around in the course of her shifting positions, and-

Hades slammed his eyes shut.

The blankets. He didn't know what she’d done when she rolled over but the blankets were tangled around her ankles. Her right leg was hitched up to the side, draped over another pillow.

Hades cracked an eye and his gaze traveled from the curve of calf, over the length of her thigh, up to the crease where thigh met hip and ass. Just a bit of white lace boyshort showed below the hem of her shirt. 

_ Gods, I didn’t know they made white underwear like that... _

His other eye opened and followed the edge of lace inward to where the perfect globes of her ass met, glimpsing soft pink curls between her thighs.

_ She’s so small but that is definitely more than a handful… _

Hades slammed his eyes shut again and blushed furiously.

_ Stop ogling her like a dirty old man. What the hell is  _ wrong _ with you?! _

Irritated with himself, Hades shifted and started to get up. His eyes involuntarily snapped back to Persephone’s ass and he stifled a moan as the movement of the mattress made the soft, round flesh jiggle. He shut his eyes again and groped toward the foot of the bed. When he finally grasped the blankets he pulled them up and covered her.

Persephone stirred and muttered in her sleep, kicking the blankets off again. Hades threw his hands in the air and shot off bed toward the bathroom, using every ounce of willpower he could muster to not look back at the small pink form in his bed. He shut the bathroom door rather harder than he needed to.

* * *

“Wha-huh?” Persephone started as she heard a door slam.

She pried her eyes open and tried to orient herself. This bed felt different. And...was that sunlight? She blinked owlishly as she peered out from the pillow she embraced. Then she scrambled up with a start, self-consciously pulling her shirt back down over her hips. She frantically looked around, saw the empty space where Hades had lain, and the blankets kicked off and stuffed at the foot of the bed. She groaned.

_ “Gods. I was just laying here with my butt hanging out. He must think I’m so  _ gross _ .” _

She heard the sound of a shower turn on and she looked at the closed door across the room.  _ “That must be the bathroom. I really need to pee…” _ She calculated how far it was to the next closest bathroom.  _ “If I go really fast he won’t even know I was in there.” _

Persephone crept over to the bathroom and cracked open the door. To her left was a vanity, to her right was a toilet. Straight ahead was another door, closed  _ almost _ all the way, from which came the sounds of running water and a low voice muttering. She silently slipped into the room, pulled down her undies, and sat on the toilet to empty her bursting bladder. She clutched her hands in her lap and her right leg bounced up and down involuntarily while she waited to finish.

_ “Done!” _ Her eyes flitted over to the interior door as she hiked up her undies and turned around to press the flush.

“HOLY FUCKING SHIT WHAT THE FUCK!”

* * *

Hades stood under the stream of cold water, waiting for the ache in his loins to subside. He looked down over the planes of chest and stomach to the evidence of his inconvenient arousal and rolled his eyes. 

_ “For the love of the Fates, Aidoneus, she's 19 years old. She’s not going to want a bitter old fart like you. Fates, she's probably a virgin,” _ His cock gave a traitorous twitch at that thought.  _ “Fine. You may have this  _ one _ moment of indulgence since you can't walk around with a boner all day. But that's  _ it. _ ”  _ Hades took his rigid member in his hand and started to stroke slowly.

_ Hades slowly ran his hands up the backs of Persephone’s thighs, until he reached that round, full, gorgeous ass. He cupped a cheek in each hand and squeezed gently, eliciting a gentle hum from their owner. His hands moved down and in, and his thumbs stroked the delicate white lace, the only thing separating him from her warm center. _

_ Persephone hummed louder this time, lifting her hips slightly in invitation. Hades slid a finger under the edge of lace and ran it through the damp curls waiting for him there, a self-satisfied smile flitting across his lips when she gasped. He gently drew the lace barrier aside with his other hand while his finger continued it’s explorations. _

_ Persephone’s breath was coming shorter now, and she lifted her hips higher to allow him further access. He gently parted her folds with his finger and slid it up and down, coating it with her essence. He groaned at how wet she was. Persephone’s hips started moving slightly, encouraging him.  _

_ Hades fingertip found her entrance and he slowly pushed inside, eliciting a throaty moan from Persephone that excited him more than he thought possible. A second finger joined the first and he slowly withdrew them, the pads of his fingers facing down and curling slightly to stroke her most intimate place.  _

_ “Ahh…” Persephone breathed, pushing her hips back into him, begging him to go deeper, go faster. He was happy to oblige. She made the most wonderful noises, each moan and grunt of pleasure causing a jolt of arousal in his swollen loins.  _

_ Their pace steadily increased. Persephone had taken complete control of her own pleasure now, thrusting herself onto his fingers with greater and greater abandon until he felt the tell-tale quiver start inside her.  _

_ “That's right, baby, come for me. Come for me. Now.” Persephone cried out as he felt her clamp down around his fingers.  _

“Hnnng!” Hades groaned his completion, his head leaning against his forearm on the wall of the shower, his release spurting hot and furious. He stood breathless for a moment in the cold stream of water, his member already softening in his hand. 

He was pulled from his orgasm fog by the sound of the toilet flushing followed immediately by a shower of hot water scalding his skin. 

“HOLY FUCKING SHIT WHAT THE FUCK!”

“Oh my gods, I'm sorry!” a tiny voice squeaked, followed by the slamming of the exterior door. 

* * *

Persephone stared wide-eyed at the bathroom door, hands to her mouth. Then she slowly started to grin and a snort escaped through her fingers. She turned and padded hurriedly back to the guest room, giggling as she imagined the look on Hades’s face when the water temperature changed on him so fast. She hadn't meant to do it; she always forgot to not flush when people were in the shower. But that didn't make it any less hilarious. 

She looked at the clock; 6:30 am. Thursday. No class today, which meant a full day of work at Underworld Corp. She knew Hades liked to get an early start so she went to the closet and pulled out one of the new outfits she’d picked up at the boutique on the ground floor of Tower 1 yesterday.

She could have gone home to pick up some of the clothes she already had, but she just wasn’t ready for the interrogation she’d get from Artemis. She didn’t want to deal with Apollo, and she just  _ knew _ that he’d be hanging around the house to try and corner her.  _ “I wanted to talk to you about some of the things you said,”  _ he’d told her. 

“Well, Apollo, I  _ don’t _ want to talk about it, so you can just...get lost,” Persephone muttered to herself as she padded down the hall, away from Hades’s room, to the other full bath off the living room. 

* * *

Hades burst out of the bathroom, his hips swathed in a black towel, and looked for the little pink minx who had managed to undo him no fewer than three times in the last 6 hours. He poked his head out the bedroom door in time to see her disappear into the guest room down the hall. 

_ “Is she laughing? If she did that on purpose…” _ Hades grinned ruefully as he went to brush his teeth and shave. The timing of that flush could have been really unfortunate, but as it was he felt calmer and more in control of himself. He tried not to think about how Minthe hadn't ever had that kind of effect on him. He tried, less successfully, not to think about the vision that had driven him over the edge under the cold spray of water. 

He went to his closet to dress. Black three-piece wool suit. White linen shirt. Black silk socks. Black leather shoes - wingtips today, he thought. Black silk tie. He was feeling a bit sassy, so he chose one with a very dark grey paisley pattern on it, then tucked in the matching pocket square. 

He couldn't say why he chose a pair of diamond cufflinks this morning, nor why he spent more time than usual brushing and arranging his unruly white hair. After straightening his tie for fifth time he finally said, “Oh, fuck it,” and strode down the hall to the kitchen. 

* * *

Persephone stepped out of the shower and toweled off, singing tunelessly to herself. Despite the fact that she got to sleep late, she felt like she’d slept better the night before than she’d slept any night since she'd left the mortal realm. 

She lifted the towel up to dry her hair and then wrapped it around her head, regarding her body in the mirror. It was small and soft and smooth and she liked it. She liked how full and round her breasts were, capped by pert, dark pink nipples, and the way her waist nipped in above the generous swell of her hips and thighs. 

And she liked her tummy. Artemis’s stomach was flat and firm, but Persephone’s had a slight, soft swell that curved gently down to the thatch of thick pink curls at the apex of her thighs. She turned around and looked over her shoulder at her round, supple bottom. She bounced on her toes and watched it bounce too, chuckling to herself. She  _ really _ liked her bottom.

Persephone wrapped her body in a second towel and stuck her head out the door to check that the coast was clear. She looked and listened; no sounds. Hades must still be getting dressed. She hurried down the hall and ducked into the guest room. As soon as the door was closed the towel around her body dropped to the floor. She let the towel in her hair fall too, and flopped down on the bed with a sigh. 6:45. Hades wouldn’t want to leave until 7:15, so she had some time.

She lay on her back, breathing deeply, thinking about the previous night. The feel of Hades’s arms around her. The smell of his hair. The press of thighs and chest against her creating a light hum between her legs as she drifted off to sleep.

She absently started letting her hands wander over her body. Her right hand cupped her breast, her thumb brushing over the taught nipple. Her left hand slowly slid between her legs, her middle finger dipping into her folds and drawing the dewy moisture up to the little bundle of nerves at the peak of her sex, circling it with the pad of her finger.

_ Persephone lay back, gazing up into Hades’s eyes. They glowed red, the way they did when he was feeling some strong emotion. She thought she knew what he was feeling just then, because she was feeling it too. Hades trailed gentle kisses down her body, flicking his tongue over the tight buds of her nipples, making her arch her back and cry out softly. He chuckled, and continued his ministrations down over her ribs and belly, nudging her legs apart to make room for his broad shoulders. _

_ He gently bit the inside of her thigh, and looked up at her mischievously over the tuft of curls at his nose. Persephone’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth to...to what? Not protest; she didn’t want him to stop. Hades ran his huge hands up the insides of her thighs, thumbs  _ _ lightly brushing the edges of her center, and then slowly pushed her legs up and open. _

_ His thumbs stroked her thighs as he lowered his head to his work. The first touch of his tongue between her folds made her see stars, and each teasing stroke brought a new burst behind her closed eyelids. Her fingers twined in his hair and she pressed her hips upward, panting, grunting, wordlessly begging him to bring her to release. _

_ Hades could sense her rising desperation and decided it was time to focus his efforts. His tongue curved around her swollen pearl and he drew it up and over, up and over, again and again, pacing himself to the buck of her hips and gasping breaths, pushing her gently but insistently to the precipice.  _

_ The warm hum in Persephone’s abdomen became an ache, moved inward, flooding toward the sweet pink bud under Hades’s tongue. Her gasps became grunts, then moans, then a long keening cry as her body tensed and she was flooded with exquisite sensation. _

Persephone jerked and grunted as her furiously working fingers coaxed a warm explosion between her legs. She cupped her mound in her hand and pressed to try and contain the sensation for a little longer while she twitched with the aftershocks of her orgasm. As the sensation faded she relaxed back into the bed, and then blushed furiously at what she’d just imagined. 

6:51. Somehow she blushed even harder.


	3. Chapter 3

Hades walked into the kitchen to see Persephone seated at the breakfast bar, sipping from a mug. Another mug sat in front of the seat to her right, a curl of steam rising out of it, and his heart squeezed to realize that she’d made him a cup of coffee.

He slid onto the stool next to her. “I thought you didn’t like coffee,” he remarked, savoring his own first sip.

“I like the way it smells, so I decided that I want to develop a taste for it,” she replied primly, taking another delicate sip. “Besides, your coffee isn’t as terrible as what I’ve had in Olympus.”

Hades grinned into his mug and covertly watched her out of the corner of his eye. She was wearing a new outfit; he knew she’d bought some new clothes but hadn’t seen them yet. Her blazer was a dark, rich, red-violet color, which complimented her pink skin perfectly, and he noted with approval that the hair comb he’d bought her after Tartarus was nestled above her right ear. Her cheeks seemed more flushed than usual. He wondered why.

“You look nice today,” he blurted, then cleared his throat. “That color suits you.” He buried his nose in his mug again.

Persephone flushed an even deeper pink and buried her own nose in her mug. “Thank you,” she replied, looking shyly at him. “You’re wearing a paisley tie today. I like it.” Now it was Hades’s turn to blush, surprised that she’d noticed.

They sat and sipped in a slightly-awkward-but-mostly-comfortable silence until, at exactly 7:13 am, Hades set down his mug and stood. “Persephone, Goddess of Spring, it is time to depart for work.”

“You’re the boss, Boss,” she smiled. She slipped off the stool and grabbed her coat, laid across the stool on her left. Now that she was on her feet, Hades was able to fully appreciate her ensemble. Her blazer was tailored to accentuate her tiny waist, the tails flaring out slightly and stopping about mid-hip. Under the blazer she wore a light pink cowl neck blouse, and her mother’s green vine pin was on her lapel. Her trousers were the same color as the blazer, not too snug but perfectly contouring to her intoxicating curves. They were a bit on the short side allowing her to show off her delicate ankles and showcase the fashionable light pink t-strap heels she wore.

Persephone turned and looked at him expectantly. Hades blinked. “Are you ready?” she asked.

“Y-yes!” Hades pulled on his own coat and stopped at the key rack by the door. “What should we drive today? Ferrari? Or the classic Mustang?”

Persephone tapped her lip thoughtfully. “Mmmm…Aston Martin.” She flashed a dazzling grin at him and he groaned internally. How did she even know he had an Aston Martin??

Hades grabbed the keys, helped Persephone into her coat, and then guided her out the door with his hand on the small of her back. He surprised himself at the proprietary gesture, but Persephone just blushed and smiled up at him. He returned a lopsided grin as he locked the front door.

* * *

As they walked across the drive to the huge garage, Hades put his fingers to his lips and whistled loudly. Before long they heard the pound of giant paws on the ground and Cerberus appeared around the corner of the house, shrinking down into his portable form. He trotted up to Persephone and nudged her hand with his nose, asking for pets.

“Good morning, my sweet, good boy!” Persephone cooed, rubbing his ears. Cerberus’s tongue lolled out the side of his mouth as he leaned his head into the skritches. 

Hades’s heart squeezed every time he saw the tiny goddess interact with the fearsome Guardian of the Underworld. Cerberus tolerated house guests for the most part but he was never friendly with anyone but Hades. He absently wondered what made Persephone different.

He shook himself out of his reverie. “Alright, you two, let’s get moving.”

Persephone straightened, and Cerberus trotted to Hades and greeted him with a lick on the hand. “Oh, so nice of you to notice I’m here,” Hades said wryly. Cerberus looked up at him with a goofy doggy smile.

Hades herded them into the garage, opened the passenger door of the Aston Martin for Persphone, then got Cerberus settled in the back seat. “Everybody buckled in and ready?” he asked as he climbed into the driver’s seat and buckled his seat belt.

“Yep!” Persephone said, at the same time that Cerberus gave a soft woof from the behind him.

“Hold on.” Hades grinned at her, threw the car into gear, and shot out of the garage already at speed. Over the course of the last couple days he’d discovered that Persephone was a bit of a speed demon, giggling and shrieking as he roared around the tight curves of the road leading down the hill from his home. He found himself thinking he’d consider driving off a cliff just to hear that delighted squeal.

As they merged onto the main freeway, Hades patted the steering wheel nervously. “So,” he began, “I’ve been wondering.”

Persephone looked over at him. “Wondering what?”

“Well, how much longer we’re going to be doing…” he waved his hand vaguely, “...this. You hiding in my house. Don’t you think you should go home eventually? Not that I don’t like having you!” he hurriedly added. “It’s just that, well...people are probably wondering where you are.”

Persephone sighed. “I know. I’ve been thinking the same thing. But...I don’t want to go back to Olympus, Hades.” She swallowed. “I don’t like it there. It feels...it feels  _ wrong _ .”

Hades hands tightened on the steering wheel. He had so many questions, but he remained quiet, letting her continue.

“I can’t explain it. Well...I  _ could _ . But I don’t want to, I guess. Not right now.” Her hands twisted in her lap. “I don’t want to overstay my welcome. If you need me to leave, I will.” She blinked furiously.

Hades reached over and squeezed her hand briefly; it was as much contact as he dared allow himself lest he give in to the urge to pull the car over and gather her into his lap. 

“You are welcome to stay with me as long as you want to. You are a delightful house guest,” he smiled. “I don’t usually have somebody around to make me coffee in the morning so it’s a bit of a treat.” He blushed, unsure how that came across.

Persephone smiled back at him. “Do you mean it? I know it might be kind of weird, since you’re my boss and all…” she trailed off, breaking eye contact.

“I’m your boss, but I’m also...y-your friend. I don’t know what’s been going on up in Olympus, but if you need to get away from it for a bit I am more than happy to help.” He squeezed the steering wheel to keep from touching her again. 

Persephone unbuckled her seat belt and threw her arms around him. “Oh, thank you, Hades!” she cried.

Hades very nearly lost control of the car at the force of her embrace but once he was assured that they were not going to wind up in a fiery crash, he smiled and put his arm around her, rubbing her back encouragingly.

“You’re so welcome, Kore. But maybe save the hugs for when the car is stopped, hm?” 

Persephone jerked back. “OH! Oh. I’m sorry.” She blushed.

“I managed to save us this time,” he grinned and winked. 

Persephone blushed even more as she buckled herself back in and sat quietly in thought. After a few minutes,

“Hades?”

“Hm?”

“Will you drive me up to Olympus after work today?”   
  
He looked at her with an eyebrow raised in question.

“I just want to pick up some of my things, and tell Artemis that I’ll be staying in the Underworld for a little bit. I’ll come up with some reason, I guess...maybe I’ll tell her there’s a big project that requires long hours or something. I don’t know.” She sighed.

“If you’re interested in my two cents,” Hades said, “You’re an adult and can stay or live wherever you want. You don’t owe an explanation to anybody.”

Persephone regarded him with her head tilted to one side, looking for all the world like such a thought had never occurred to her before. She nodded slowly.

“You have a point.” She looked forward again. “I need to start asserting myself more,” she added grimly.

Hades eyebrows shot up at that, but he left it.


	4. Chapter 4

It was about 3:30 when Hades poked his head around the side of Persephone’s cubicle.

“Hey!” he whispered. Persephone whirled in her chair.

“Gods, Hades, you scared the life out of me. What is it?”

“I thought that we could cut out a little early, since we’re going to Olympus and back tonight. What do you think?”

Persephone was gathering up her stuff before he’d even finished speaking. He followed her to the elevator, trying not to stare at the way her hips swayed when she walked.  _ There are people  _ looking _ at you, Hades. Get your shit together _ . He stared dutifully at the back of her head instead.

Back at the car, Hades opened the passenger door for her again, then paused. “Would you like to drive?” he asked.

She looked up at him wide eyed. “Really??” she looked down and bit her lip. “I probably shouldn’t. I’m way too distracted to be able to drive safely. Maybe on the way back?” she said hopefully.

“Sure, maybe on the way back,” he smiled outwardly, while groaning internally.  _ The way she bites her lip like that...Fates! _

They engaged in animated small talk until they pulled up in Artemis’s driveway. Persephone took a deep breath and looked at Hades.

“Will you come in with me? Please?”

Hades tried not to let the surprise show on his face. “Of course I will,” he replied gravely.

Once in the house, Hades touched Persephone’s shoulder. “I’ll stay here by the door. You just yell if you need help with anything, okay?”

Persephone nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. She’d barely been in there a heartbeat when he heard an angry male voice. 

“Where the hell have you been?! I’ve been calling and texting you for days, how  _ dare _ you ignore me!”

_ Apollo. _

Hades squared his shoulders and strode into the kitchen to witness Apollo gripping Persephone’s arm hard enough to make her wince. He had her pushed up against the counter. She was trapped. He suddenly started to understand why she didn’t want to stay in Olympus.

He casually leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms. “I thought Artemis didn’t allow men in her house,” he said, feigning interest in the state of his driving gloves for a moment. “Or do you not  _ count _ ?” He raised his eyes and locked eyes with Apollo, the double-meaning of the question clear.

Apollo grimaced. Hades saw him give Persephone’s arm a warning squeeze, making her wince again, and then let her go. 

Before he could say another word Persephone pulled her arm back and struck Apollo in the face as hard as she could, leaving four livid scratches across his cheek. They weren’t fingernail scratches, though; her hand was glowing and he saw a vine spiked with angry thorns wrapped around it. 

_ Holy shit. That’s badass. _

Apollo’s hand flew to his face. When he pulled it away it was smeared with golden ichor.

_ The Goddess of Spring hits hard. _

“You little  _ bitch _ !” Apollo went to grab her again but before he could touch her she thrust her hands toward him, palms out, and a huge gust of wind blew him backward into the wall and held him there.

Persephone walked slowly over and looked him in the eye, hair and flower petals whipping in the wind, hands outstretched and glowing. The very embodiment of spring’s rage.

_ She is splendid. _

“You will never,  _ ever _ lay a hand on me again. You will never speak to me again. You will never set foot in this house again as long as I live under its roof. I am not yours. I will  _ never _ be yours. All of this stops. Now. Do you understand?”

Red vines had sprouted in her hair and were winding their way through her rapidly growling locks. When Apollo didn’t respond, those vines moved toward him, wrapping slowly around his throat. His golden eyes widened.

“I said,  _ do you understand? _ ” Persephone repeated, the vines tightening ever-so-slightly. Apollo’s eyes bulged a little.

“I-I understand, “ he choked.

In an instant the wind stopped, the vines disappeared, and Apollo dropped to the ground with a thump. He glared up at her resentfully, rubbing his throat.   
She leaned over him. “You fucked with the wrong goddess, you shitty little sun god. Do not cross me again.”

As she straightened, they all heard the front door open and Artemis entered.

* * *

“PERSEPHONE!” 

Persephone braced herself as Artemis flew across the kitchen and flung her arms around her.

“Where have you  _ been _ ? We’ve all been worried sick, why didn’t you answer your phone? Are you okay??” Artemis pulled away and held Persephone out at arms length looking her up and down.

“I’m fine, Artemis. I just came by to pick up a few things. I need to stay in the Underworld for a week or two, for work, and-”

Artemis cut her off with a gesture as she finally took in the state of the kitchen. “What the hell happened in here?” She saw Hades. “What the hell is  _ he _ doing here?!” Then she saw Apollo. “ _ What the hell happened to my brother?!” _ She whirled on Hades. “How dare you come into  _ my  _ house-”

It was Persephone’s turn to interrupt. “I walked into the kitchen and  _ your brother _ found it necessary to grab my arm hard enough to leave a bruise and demand where I’d been as though he were entitled to me. So I kicked his ass.”

Artemis stared. “Apollo would never do that to someone,” she said in disbelief.

Persephone rolled her eyes. “For Fate’s sake, Artemis, do you really not know what he is?” She pulled her blazer off, the sleeveless blouse underneath revealing a handprint on her upper arm, bruise already purpling. “Look at that.  _ Look. _ ” Artemis looked.

“I bet Hades did that to you, he’s a monster. He-”

_ “APOLLO DID THIS TO ME,” _ Persephone roared, red vines growing once again in her hair. “Not only that, Artemis,  _ protector of young girls _ , after you left for work on Sunday night he snuck into my room.  _ He. Raped. Me. _ ”

Persephone stood, staring at Artemis, chest heaving, wondering what she’d say. Hoping Artemis would defend her, cast Apollo out so she could come home and be safe again. 

Artemis’s jaw hung open, her head shaking in denial. “No. He wouldn’t. He  _ couldn’t _ .” She backed away from Persephone. “I don’t believe you. Why would you say something like that about my brother? Persephone, I thought we were  _ friends _ .”

Persephone felt tears of rage and disappointment prickle behind her eyes. She felt sick to her stomach. She took several deep breaths, getting herself under control. 

She turned around and looked at Hades, who stared back at her with a completely unreadable expression on his face. 

“Hades, do you think you could help me find an apartment in the Underworld? I’m moving out.”

Hades nodded.

She looked back at Artemis. “I’ll have Hermes come get my stuff,” she said. Her voice cracked a little. “I thought we were friends, too.”  
  


* * *

Hades watched the argument in Artemis’s kitchen warily, unsure whether to intervene. He had finally decided to stay out of it, since Persephone was obviously able to take care of herself, when three words punched him in the gut.

_ “He. Raped. Me.” _

Hades felt white hot rage start to burn in his chest. His eyes went to where Apollo sat on the floor. The rage flared when he saw the smirk on the shitty little sun god’s face. It never even occurred to him to question the truth of her statement, and the attitude, the  _ entitlement _ behind that smirk made him see red. 

His face must have looked truly terrible; when Apollo turned to give him a triumphant look, the arrogant little shit blanched and looked down. Hades schooled his features into what he hoped was a neutral expression and waited to see what happened next, fists clenched under his folded arms.

He watched Persephone closely, watched for any sign that she might need something from him. When she turned to him he froze, wanting to gather her up in his arms but knowing he should let her decide when and if to touch. 

“Hades, do you think you could help me find an apartment in the Underworld? I’m moving out.”

He nodded, and held out his hand to her.=

Persephone looked back over her shoulder.

“I thought we were friends, too.” Hades’s heart cracked along with her voice, heavy with sadness and betrayal.

She turned back to him and took his offered hand. He ushered her out of the kitchen and out the front door with a guiding hand on the small of her back, and steered her out to the car. They stopped at the passenger door and he looked down at her. Her eyes were glued to the ground.

He knelt in front of her. “Kore?”

She didn’t respond. 

He leaned in so he could look up into her face a little bit, but he didn’t touch her. “Kore, will you please look at me? I just want to know if you’re okay.”

She shook her head.

“May I hold your hands?”

She nodded, once.

Hades peeled off his black leather driving gloves and gently took her tiny hands in his, palm to palm. A heartbeat later her fingers clutched his harder than he thought possible.

“What do you need, sweetness?”

She finally looked at him. Her face was pale, frozen in an expression of neutral detachment. As his eyes searched hers her breaths starting coming in heaving gulps and her face crumpled. With a wailing sob, she flung herself into his arms. 

Hades sat down on the ground with her cradled in his lap, one arm secure around her waist, the other stroking her hair. He rocked her back and forth, the way she had done for him the night before, and found himself whispering the same kind of comforting nonsense, pressing kisses into her hair. His heart cracked a little more with each sob that wracked her body as it pressed to his.

“Oh, Kore. Ohhh my sweet, darling girl. I’m so sorry. You’re safe now, little Cricket. You’re safe, my darling.”

Hades didn’t notice the tears that spilled down his own cheeks in sympathy. He also didn’t notice Apollo watching them through the window, his nasty scowl turning into an even nastier smirk.

* * *

Already exhausted, it didn’t take long for Persephone to cry herself out. She lay limp in Hades’s lap, arms around his neck. His large hand stroking her hair calmed her.

“I’m so tired,” she murmured into his chest. “But I don’t have a home anymore.” A single hiccuping sob escaped her throat and she clung to Hades tighter. He squeezed her back.

“Don’t you worry about a single thing, Cricket. Okay? You’ll always have a home with me,” he cleared his throat, “until we find you your own place.”

She peered up at him. “Cricket?”

Hades blushed a little. “Y-you rub your feet together when you sleep. Like a cricket.”

Persephone blushed a little more, realizing that they not only had shared a bed last night but he’d apparently watched her sleep. A little fire started in her belly, pushing back some of the hurt and anger that sat there.

“I won’t call you that anymore,” Hades said hurriedly. “It was presumptuous of me to give you a nickname like that, I’m sorry.”

“No,” she said. “I like it.”

She paused, looking into his eyes, and made a decision.

“We should get going. I hate that I couldn’t wait until we were away from here to lose my shit,” Persephone sighed.

Hades hoisted her out of his lap and then stood up himself, straightening his coat. “It’s understandable,” he said simply, opening the passenger door for her. 

She climbed inside and fastened her seatbelt, feeling a sense of calm and certainty that she hadn’t felt since...well, since she’d started to become a woman. She had a plan now, and she was ready to execute. 

Hades sat down beside her and the engine started with a muffled roar. She looked at him.

“Hades, do you know where Hestia lives?”

* * *

Hades held his breath.  _ You idiot. You complete idiot. Why did you call her that? She’s been traumatized for Fate’s sake… _

“No. I like it.”

She looked at him intently. It reminded him of the look she had in her eyes in Tartarus. His low belly tightened at the memory. Then a change came over her face, like she’d finally decided something. He was curious, but thought he’d let her tell him in her own time.

He bundled her into the car and whistled to himself a little as he walked around to the driver’s side.  _ Incongruous, given what’s just happened, you crass fuck. What is  _ wrong _ with you? _ He frowned as he climbed in and started the engine, lost in thought.

“Hades, do you know where Hestia lives?”

Hades looked at Persephone with raised eyebrows. “I do. Would you like to go there?”

“Yes please. And while we drive I want to ask you something.”

“Shoot,” he said, outwardly calm. Inside he was a bundle of nerves.

“So, the other day, right after Tartarus. You said the shades were threatened by me because I’m a fertility goddess,” she replied.

“I did.”

“Why did you think I’m a fertility goddess?” she asked.

Hades wheezed a little.  _ Have you seen yourself, Cricket? _

“Well,” he cleared his throat. “You’re the Goddess of Spring. Your job is to make things take root and grow and thrive. The ability to do that is sort of the  _ definition _ of fertility.”

She nodded. “I thought so.”

“And,” he went on hesitantly, “...you’re pink.”

“I’m pink?” she responded, confused.

“Yeah, you’re pink.”

“Why would that matter?” 

The befuddled look on her face would have been adorable if it weren’t for the fact that it meant he was going to have to tell her something she probably wouldn’t be happy to hear.

Hades took a deep breath. “Fertility goddesses are always pink. All the way back to the Titanomachy. It’s kind of a thing.” He didn’t look directly at her but watched carefully from the corner of his eye. “I’m sorry your mom never told you.”

She was leaning forward in her seat, starting at him, mouth open. He began to pat the steering wheel nervously.

Finally she sat back in her seat with a huff. “That is such a relief! GODS!” She laughed.

Hades stared at her in disbelief, not noticing when the car started drifting across the center line until Persephone shrieked and tried to take the wheel from him. Snapping back to reality he righted the car and avoided disaster.

“A...relief? I honestly thought you’d be furious.” He glanced over.

“Oh, don’t get it twisted, I’m livid,” she replied. “But a lot of other things are starting to make sense and it’s such a burden off my shoulders. I’m so grateful that you had the guts to tell me.” She graced him with a dazzling smile. He returned a crooked grin as they pulled into Hestia’s driveway.


	5. Chapter 5

“Wait here, I won’t be long!” Persephone said as she jumped out of Hades’s car. She trotted up Hestia’s front steps and banged on the door. There was a bell, of course, but she didn’t much feel like being polite today.

Hestia opened the door and exclaimed in delight, “Persephone! What a pleasure to see you!” She peered over Persephone’s shoulder at the dark teal sports rumbling car in the driveway and frowned. “Who brought you?” Her eyes lit upon the glittering comb in Persephone’s hair. “Who gave you that?”

“Hades,” Persephone replied simply. “May I come in?”

Hestia’s eyes grew wide, but she moved aside. Persephone stepped inside but not before turning and giving Hades a little wave. She saw Hestia’s eyes narrow.  _ Good _ .

Persephone didn’t wait for an invitation before she seated herself on the sofa, declining Hestia’s offer of tea. 

“What I came to say won’t take long,” she said. “I just wanted to tell you in person that I’m giving up the scholarship I received through your organization. Is this enough, or do I need to submit something in writing?”

Hestia goggled. “What do you mean? Why would you do that?”

Persephone started ticking points off on her fingers. “First of all, I don’t want to be an Eternal Maiden. Eternal virginity has always sounded awful, although I never had the guts to say it.

“Second, I’m not actually a virgin anymore. I’m not going to get into it,” she held up a hand as Hestia started to speak. “Suffice it to say that I didn’t want to do it but my  _ partner, _ ” she used scare quotes, “didn’t really care whether I wanted to or not.

“Third, I’m a  _ fertility goddess _ , Hestia. I  _ knew _ it didn’t feel right, but I didn’t know why. Now I know. Not only that, I also know that  _ everyone else knew I was a fertility goddess _ . I’ve spent the last 10 years of my life talking about a life of virginity and service while everyone knew that there was  _ no possible way that would work _ . I can’t  _ believe _ you never told me. I am  _ so embarrassed. _ ”

Hestia’s mouth worked silently.

Persephone stood. “Please tell my mother that I love her but she should not expect to hear from me for a while. I am  _ extremely _ angry at her, and I need some time to process my feelings before I can have a civil conversation with her.”

Hestia finally found her voice as she followed Persephone to the front door. “But...but what are you going to do without an education?!”

Persephone turned, her hand on the doorknob. 

“I’m going to work for Hades.”

* * *

Hades leaned his head back against the headrest and sighed.  _ What a weird day _ . He closed his eyes, remembering how it felt to hold the tiny Goddess of Spring in his arms. He never wanted to see her cry like that again, but he so treasured the memory of her weight in his arms, the sweet natural smell of her, the softness of her hair…

He was brought back from his reverie when the passenger side door opened and Persephone slid into the seat. “All done!”

“That was fast,” he remarked, putting the car in gear and backing down the driveway. “Is everything alright?”

Persephone sighed. “As alright as it’s likely to be for a while.” She looked at him. “I have a confession to make to you.”

Hades gulped, his hands tightening on the wheel. “What is it?”

“Remember Sunday night when we were on the phone and I told you I wasn’t seeing anyone?”

“Y-yes.” 

“Well, that was technically true, but it’s not the whole truth. The whole truth is that I’ve been preparing to be an Eternal Maiden since I was 10 years old.” 

Hades felt the bottom drop out of his stomach.  _ An Eternal Maiden? Gods fucking damn me to the lowest level of Tartarus, she was in my  _ bed _ ! I fantasized about her ass! I am such a fucking creep! _

“That is, until about 5 minutes ago.”

“Wh-what does that mean?” he asked warily.

She met his gaze calmly. “It means that I just told Hestia to take her scholarship and her eternal virginity and stick it in her nose.”

Hades guffawed, pounding his hand on the wheel. “That is...a relief, Cricket, because I was starting to feel  _ really _ weird about having that sleepover with you last night.”

Persephone looked at him curiously, “Why would you feel weird about that?”

Hades raised an eyebrow.  _ So innocent. How can anybody be that innocent? _

“Well,” he replied, “Most people would frown on an Eternal Maiden having a snuggle with  _ any _ god, let alone Well-Known Scoundrel Hades, God of the Dead.”

“People are idiots.” Persephone shook her head. “Here’s the thing, though. With no scholarship, there’s no education. With no education there’s no career.”

Hades looked at her. “None of that is a given. You don’t need an education to have a successful career. And you don’t need a scholarship to get an education.”

“Well, that first part is true. But the second part...you may not need a scholarship but you  _ do _ need money. And I don’t have any. So I’m hoping that maybe we can turn my internship into full-time gig so I can save up.”

She seemed to realize all at once how assertive and confident and business-like she was being, because she shrank down in her seat and blushed furiously.

“If-if that’s okay with you, I mean. I don’t want you to think that I’m trying to take advantage of our friendship to get out of the mess I’ve gotten myself into.”

“I would never think that of you,” Hades smiled at her, then looked back at the road. “It’s an interesting proposal that you’ve brought to me, Persephone, Goddess of Spring. Let me think on it and we can have a meeting about it tomorrow morning.”

“Oh! Great!” Persephone sighed. “I feel so much better now. Can we listen to some music?”

“Of course. You’re the designated navigator, so queue it up.”

Persephone snorted. “Navigator. I don’t even know where we are.”


	6. Chapter 6

Back at the house, Persephone pushed open the door to Hades's guest room and started peeling off her work clothes, leaving a trail of garments from the door to the bed. 

_ I sure did fuck myself over today, didn't I?  _ She unclasped her bra and sighed in relief as it fell to the floor, her breasts aching slightly as they re-adjusted to their natural shape. She slowly raised her arms in the air and stretched, her spine popping as some of the day’s tension left her. She took out the hair comb Hades had given her and shook out her short hair, massaging her scalp with her fingertips.

Persephone rummaged through some shopping bags in front of the closet and pulled out a new pair of purple yoga pants and a white tank top, as well as a pair of fuzzy blue slippers and a dark pink hoodie; Hades had turned the thermostat up in the house for her, but it was still chillier than she was used to. She stepped into the yoga pants and slid the soft, stretchy fabric up her legs, then pulled the tank top over her head. Stepping into the slippers and shrugging into the hoodie, she headed for the living room.

Hades wasn’t in the living room or the kitchen. Persephone made herself a cup of tea, then headed back to the living room. She thought about turning on the tv, but after a moment’s consideration decided she didn’t want the noise and turned to the bookcases instead. Running her finger over the spines of Hades’s impressive book collection, she selected a volume of Greek epic poems and flopped down on the couch, tucking her feet underneath her.

Persephone sipped her tea and tried to read, but she kept glancing toward the hallway, waiting for Hades to appear. 

“Ugh,” she muttered to herself. “It doesn’t matter whether he’s coming or not. He’s probably working in his office or something. Why should you care?”

_ “You care because you like him,”  _ a mocking voice in her head replied. “ _ You remember what you were thinking about this morning. You want him.” _

“Shut up! I do not!” Persephone huffed to the voice. But she  _ did _ remember what she thought about that morning, and she felt a tightening in her belly when she thought about it now. She couldn’t  _ stop _ thinking about it. She couldn’t stop thinking about how warm and strong his arms were, how her heart leapt when he called her “Cricket”, how her bottom felt nestled against his hips as they slept. 

She was seriously thinking about heading back to her room to relieve the growing ache between her legs when the doorbell rang.

* * *

When they got back to the house, Hades watched indulgently as all his dogs greeted Persephone, then him.  _ Hairy little traitors _ , he thought with a smile. 

“Hey, I’m going to go change my clothes,” Persephone said, holding onto his forearm as she bent down to remove her shoes. “I’ll be right back.”

Hades nodded, discomfited at the tiny jolt of electricity he felt when she touched him, and how the innocuous act of her using him to keep her balance made his loins stir, just a little. He tried not to stare at the sway of her hips as she walked away down the all to her room.  _ What the hell, man? Get it together. _

Hades wrangled the dogs back inside and got them all fed, and then headed toward his own room to change. He glanced at the guest room door as he passed, and froze.

She hadn’t closed it. Not even a little. And there she stood, back to him, bare as an egg except for a light pink thong, arms stretched out to her sides. He stood slack-jawed, watching as she slowly raised her arms over her head, clasping her hands and stretching up for all she was worth. Hades glimpsed the soft curve of breast peeking from behind her underarm as she bent and stretched to one side, then the other. The little moaning sigh she let out as she finished stretching nearly undid him right then and there, and he turned and fled down the hall before she could turn and see him ogling her.

Hades shut his bedroom door and leaned against it, eyes closed, drawing deep breaths in through his nose and blowing them out through his mouth. He’d been alive for over 2000 years. He’d been with a lot of women. Not a single one had affected him like this. He’d never become so painfully aroused just by  _ looking _ at them.  _ Fates help me… _

Shrugging out of his suit coat, he walked into his closet to change. He hung up his coat and vest, and then divested himself of his suspenders and tie, hanging those up neatly as well. His white dress shirt went into the hamper and he grimaced as he pulled his trousers down over yet another awkwardly timed erection. Leaving them puddled on the floor, he stared ruefully down at the bulge in his boxer briefs.

With a sigh, Hades pulled his underwear down as well. He stepped out of trousers and briefs and walked into the bedroom, absent-mindedly stroking himself. He stopped in the bathroom to pre-emptively prepare a warm washcloth and put it on the nightstand as he sat down on the bed. His mind spun with images of Persephone’s round, soft, pink body stretching this way and that. He groaned and lay back.

_ Hades stood in the door of the guest room, his eyes on his prize. She looked over her shoulder and locked eyes with him, smirking. She looked away and slowly, nonchalantly bent over, reaching her hands all the way down to the floor.  _

_ He crossed the room in two long strides and grasped her hips, roughly pulling her toward him and probing her with the tip of his cock through the fabric of her underwear. She was already so wet, he could feel it soaking through onto his sensitive head. _

_ Persephone, still bent over with her hands flat on the floor, pushed back and rubbed herself against him. Hades growled and grabbed the delicate fabric of her underwear in both hands tearing through it like so much paper. She gasped as he ripped the remnants away from her body. _

_ His hands were back at her hips, fingers squeezing, and he pressed his cock between her folds. She moaned. He slid his member down the slick path between those plump pink lips and groaned as he coated himself in the hot evidence of her arousal. _

_ Sliding back up, Hades found her entrance, somehow even hotter than the rest of her sex. One short probing push to ensure his angle of entry, then one hard thrust, and he was fully sheathed in her tight channel. Persephone cried out as she pulsed around the sudden intrusion, stretching and adjusting to its presence, and then she began pushing back onto him. Hades growled again, grasping her hips tighter, thrusting himself into her harder, spurred on by her staccato cry each time his cock struck home. _

_ Harder. Faster. Hades felt her tighten around him over and over again, tiny orgasmic previews of what was to come. Their desperate need fed each other’s frenzied desire for release and they quickly approached their climax. Persephone’s individual cries changed to long, throaty moans interspersed with ragged breaths as the tightening of her walls became constant, and more intense with each thrust.  _

_ Finally he felt it. The trembling in her legs. She started to rise up on her toes. Hades wrapped one arm low around her waist and redoubled his efforts, slamming into her furiously as the throaty moan crescendoed into a ragged scream and she clamped down on him, body quivering and jerking as her orgasm flooded through her. _

_ Hades kept up the punishing pace as he felt wave after wave crash over her until finally, after the pressure around his cock became almost too much to bear, his balls tightened and he spurted his release into her with a cry of,  _ “ _ Oh, oh _ , Kore _ ! _ ” _ _

Hades pumped his cock furiously as his orgasm overtook him. Eyes closed, he felt the hot splatter of his seed across his torso and the slow slide of it down his shaft and fingers. His hand slowed. His cock twitched, the final throes of his orgasm shooting through his veins. He lay there breathless and sated for several minutes before finally prying his eyes open and groping for the washcloth on his night stand.

He cleaned himself fastidiously as he walked toward the bathroom, where he deposited the washcloth in the hamper and washed his hands. Back in the bedroom, he pulled a pair of flannel lounge pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt out of a drawer and tossed them on the bed. He stepped into a fresh pair of underwear and pulled on the clothes. 

Hades stood in the middle of his bedroom and scrubbed a hand over his face and up into his hair.  _ What are you doing, old man? _

As he turned and headed for the door, he heard the doorbell ring.

* * *

Persephone panicked a little bit, unsure whether it was appropriate for her to answer the door at somebody else’s house. She sighed in relief as Hades came trotting into the living room in flannel pants and a long sleeved shirt,.

“I got it, Cricket,” he smiled crookedly, and swung the front door open to reveal Hermes, leaning against a stack of four cardboard boxes. He craned his neck to address Persephone over Hades’s shoulder.

“I brought your stuff,” he said, waving cheerfully. “I don’t know what went down today but Artemis is a  _ mess _ .”

Hades saw Persephone look down and shift uncomfortably, and he put his arm up to block Hermes entering the house.

“Persephone has had a really hard day today, and I don’t think she wants to answer a bunch of awkward questions about it,” he said as he fixed Hermes with a gimlet eye. 

Hermes put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “No problems here, man. Just making an observation. Do you want me to schlep these inside for you?” He gestured at the stack of boxes.

Hades looked at Persephone. “Are you feeling up to a visit right now, Cricket?” Out of the corner of his eye he saw Hermes eyebrows shoot up at the nickname, and grimaced. 

Persephone looked at Hermes and smiled. “Thank you so much for bringing my things, Hermes. I’m really not in a good mental place for visitors at the moment, but I’ll see you at work! Maybe we can do lunch or something.”

“Oh, wait!” Hermes said, fishing in his pants pocket. “Here. You can just call or text when you’re feeling better.” He held out an older model cell phone with a cracked screen.

Persephone paled a little bit as she stepped forward to take the phone from Hermes. “Th-thank you,” she said, looking at the electronic device in her hand like it was a viper.

Hades frowned.  _ Why in the immortal realms would she react like that to getting her phone back? _

He stepped outside, crowding Hermes off the stoop, and picked up the stack of boxes like they were filled with so much bubble wrap. He carried them into the house and called out, “See you later, Hermes!” as he pushed the door shut with his foot.

Hades looked around the stack of boxes at Persephone, who was still staring down at her phone with a strange look on her face.  _ Is that...fear? _ He hoisted the boxes up to get a better grip and said, “Should I just put these in your room?”

Persephone’s head jerked up as though she’d forgotten he was there. “Y-yes! Thank you. Here,” she looked around helplessly for a place to put the phone. “Let me help you.”

“Absolutely not. You sit down and drink your tea, and I’ll be right back,” and he set off down the hall.

Hades flicked on the light in the guest room and tried not to stare at the trail of clothing strewn across the floor. He blushed furiously when he saw the pale pink lace bra at the end of the trail an jerked his eyes away to set the boxes down in front of the closet next to her shopping bags. 

When he returned to the living room, Persephone was perched on the edge of the couch. Her phone sat on the coffee table and she stared at it with her hands clasped in her lap. Hades stopped and regarded her for a moment, wondering why on earth she didn’t seem to want to touch it.

He cleared his throat and she looked up at him. “Do you want me to put that on the charger for you?”

She looked back down at it and frowned. “N-not really, to be honest. I’m afraid that I’m going to have a million notifications from Apollo and I...I just can’t.” She sighed and sank bonelessly back into the couch.

Hades sat down next to her, one leg tucked under him, his arm across the back of the couch, angled so he could see her.

“What do you want to do with it?” he asked.

Persephone drew her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, resting her head on her knees, head turned so she could look at him.

“What  _ can _ I do with it? It’s the only phone I’ve got. Artemis gave it to me because she thought I should have one even though my mom didn’t want me to. If I get rid of it it’s not like I’ll be able to get a new one. I really liked having it until...until-” she broke off and buried her face in her knees.

“Cricket, is it okay if I touch you?” 

She nodded without looking up.

Hades scooted closer and put an arm around her shoulders. “Can I make a suggestion?”

She nodded again.

“How about we charge it up,” he said. “If you’re okay with it, I can check your messages for you and let you know if there’s anything important on there, and grab any phone numbers you want to keep. As a full-time employee of Underworld Corp you’re entitled to a company cell phone so we can get you set up with that. Then we can take this phone down and you can throw it in the River Lethe.”

Persephone turned her head and looked at him. “The River Lethe?”

Hades grinned. “The river of forgetfulness.”

Persephone’s eyes widened and she choked out a laugh. “I think that sounds like a great plan, but,” she looked at him seriously. “I feel bad asking you to put in that work for me. It’s my...baggage. I should take care of it myself instead of being a coward about it.”

Hades placed a finger under her chin and gently brought her face up so she was looking him in the eyes. 

“Persephone,” he said, “I want you to listen to me carefully. Something terrible happened to you. It is completely reasonable and  _ normal _ for you to want to avoid things that will remind you of it. It doesn’t make you a coward. It makes you someone who has been hurt and needs time to process it. I am more than happy to run interference for you while you do that. Okay?”

As Hades’s eyes searched hers he saw them fill up with tears until they silently overflowed down her cheeks.

“Thank you, Hades.” She took a deep breath, wiping the tears away. “I would very much appreciate it if you could do that for me. It would really help, I think.”

Hades held his breath as she crawled over into his lap, wrapping her arms around his torso and resting her head on his chest. He hesitated just half a heart beat before he folded her into his arms, resting his cheek on her hair. 

They sat in silence for a bit, taking comfort in each other’s warm presence. Then Persephone sighed. “I feel safe here,” she murmured, nuzzling into his chest. Hades’s breath caught in his throat and his arms tightened involuntarily around her, bringing her closer. 

She sighed again. In moments she was asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Hades poured himself a whisky at the wet bar, then grabbed Persephone’s phone from the coffee table and headed into the kitchen. He sat down at the breakfast bar and plugged the phone into his charger and waited for it to power up as he slowly sipped the smoky brown liquid.

While he waited he thought about Persephone.

She had fallen asleep in his arms, limp and trusting and exhausted. When he was certain she was sound asleep he’d carried her to her room and put her to bed. She barely moved as he lay her down, but when he kissed her forehead and murmured, “Good night, Cricket,” her eyes fluttered open to meet his and she cupped his cheek in her hand for a heartbeat before she fell back into deeper sleep.

He still felt that touch on his cheek like a warm tingle. He didn’t dare touch it lest the feeling fade away even faster.

His reverie was interrupted by the tinkle of the phone’s startup music, and he stared at the screen while it booted up. As soon as the home screen appeared, notifications started flashing at the top of the screen, sound after sound emanating from the tinny speaker. He frantically fumbled for the mute button.

Now silent, the notifications continued to flash for a few more seconds. When they stopped, Hades picked up the phone and pulled down the notification drawer.

_ 4 text messages from Artemis _

_ 2 voicemails from Artemis _

_ 3 text messages from Eros _

_ 1 voicemail from Hades _

_ 12 voicemails from Apollo _

_ 46 text messages from Apollo _

He went through the other voicemails and texts, making a note of any information he thought she’d want relayed. He blushed furiously at Eros’s last message: “_ Bitch I heard you’re staying in the Underworld. Make sure you bust out the dark pink lingerie we picked up last week, Hades will looooveeeee it and DO NOT BUY UNDERWEAR IN A PACK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS” _

All that was left were the messages from Apollo. _ I should not read or listen to these. It’s not going to do anybody any good. _

The thought had no sooner passed through his head than he was tapping Apollo’s name in the messenger application. As he scrolled through the long list of messages a red mist started seeping into the edge of his vision.

_ “You lied about enjoying it…” _

_ “You’re lucky I chose you…” _

_ “How dare you say…” _

_ “...little ingrate…” _

_ “...slut…” _

_ “....WHORE…” _

Then he got to the two most recent messages, sent today. 

The first one said, _ “You ARE my girl. You will quit that job and come home immediately. And if you don't I will show EVERYONE what we did together.” _

The second message said nothing; there were just three photo attachments. His hand shook as he opened them.

There, on the screen, he saw three photos of Persephone, blinking in the flash of a camera, looking confused and scared, trying to hide her face. One of them was taken from further back than the others, showing her face, her t-shirt-covered torso and a purple pelvis wedged between pink thighs. 

Hades saw red creeping in on the edges of his vision and he dropped the phone onto the counter with a clatter lest he give in to his impulse to crush it. He couldn’t crush it. And he couldn’t let Persephone throw it into the River Lethe, either. That phone contained potential text and photo evidence of what Apollo did to her - lots of it - and it would need to remain intact should she decide to prosecute.

Hades downed the rest of the whiskey in one gulp and headed to the wet bar for a refill.

* * *

_ Hades held her hands pinned over her head, nipping earlobe and neck, flicking tongue over taught sensitive nipples, as he slowly moved in her. “Kore,” he breathed in her ear, “Oh, Kore…” _

_ She greedily pushed her hips up to meet him at each slow thrust, hungry, needing more of him, needing every inch of him she could get. He smiled down at her. “You’re so eager, Little Goddess. Am I not giving you what you need quickly enough?” He suddenly picked up speed, pumping rapidly in and out of her, sending jolts of electricity through her loins and abdomen. She arched against him and cried out. He slowed again, chuckling at her frustrated whimper. _

_ “I think I know how to cure your ills, Little Goddess,” he murmured. He released her hands and slid his fingers down her arms, over her breasts, her ribs, the swell of her hips. Persephone arched against him again, gripping her pillow between her fingers. _

_ Hades grasped her ass, pulled her against him hard, and rolled them both over in one smooth motion so Persephone straddled his hips, his cock still deep inside her. _

_ “Why don’t you take what you need from me, Little Goddess,” he said, brushing her hair away from her face. “Show me how beautiful you are when you’re using me for your pleasure.” _

_ Persephone leaned down to kiss him slowly and thoroughly, then sat up. Hades lay beneath her, hands behind his head, watching her intently as she settled to her work. _

_ She began to slowly roll her hips, savoring the feeling of his rock hard member stretching her, stroking her, filling her. She tilted her head back as she rode, running her fingers through her hair, then trailing her fingers down her neck and chest to cup her breasts. She lightly brushed her thumbs over her nipples and a breathy “Ah!” of pleasure escaped her lips. _

_ She began to pick up speed, rolling her hard, pink nipples between thumb and forefinger. Each roll of her hips brushed the sensitive nub at the apex of her sex against Hades’s pubic bone, slowly building the pressure. Each light rolling squeeze of a nipple created the feeling that a finger and thumb were giving that nub the same treatment. She steadily gained momentum, eyes closed, face screwed up in an expression of intense concentration, feeling her climax slowing rising from her core, filling her with heat until she finally exploded around him with a desperate cry. _

“HADES!”

Persephone jerked awake, her body all quivering heat, the jolts of an orgasm echoing through her sex. _ What in the world… _

Suddenly there was a knock on her door and Hades poked his head in. “Hey, are you alright? I thought I heard you call for me.”

Persephone’s entire face turned bright pink as she sat up and clutched the blankets to her chest.

“YES! Yes, I-I’m fine. Just. Just a, ah, a b-bad dream.” She could feel sweat beading on her face and she was panting. _ Please, Gaia, let him think it was from a bad dream _.

He looked at her curiously. “Okay. As long as you’re good.”

Persephone nodded, flashing a too-bright smile. “Oh yes. I’m good.”

Hades’s head withdrew and Persephone flopped back onto her pillows. A smile crept unbidden across her face. “Yes. I am goooood.”


	8. Chapter 8

Hades stood in the elevator lost in thought. Persephone’s demeanor when he checked on her that morning did not match that of a person who’d just had a dream bad enough that they called out somebody’s name in their sleep. Certainly she was sweaty and keyed up, but the flush that blossomed across her chest and up her neck to stain her cheeks was...incongruous.

_ She almost seemed like she was...aroused. That looked like sex flush. Why would she say my name- _

Hades felt his own cheeks grow hot as he connected the dots. 

_ Did she have a sex dream about me?! _

His head jerked around as he heard a small cough behind him. 

“I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but we’ve arrived at the floor you requested,” said the little red imp who ran the elevator.

“Ah! Yes! Thank you. I’m sorry,” Hades clenched his fist briefly, and handed her the sparkling gem he’d just produced. “Thank you.”

He stepped off the elevator and headed for the IT Department. When he arrived, there was no one in sight. He waited awkwardly for a few minutes before clearing his throat and calling out, “Excuse me, does anybody work here?”

A blue demon wearing an irritated expression poked his head around the side of a nearby cubicle, then fell out of his chair.

“Your Majesty!” he said, scrambling to his feet. “I humbly apologize for keeping you waiting. How may I be of service?”

Hades gave the demon a wry look. “Indeed. What is your name?”

“Manases, Your Majesty,” he replied, bowing low.

Hades nodded. “Manases, one of our interns is transitioning into a full time role, and I need to get her set up with a phone and a laptop. Can you help me with that?” 

Manases frowned. “We haven’t gotten a requisition form for a new full time employee,” he said. “I really can’t do anything until the paperwork comes through.”

Hades crossed his arms and gave Manases a flat look. “It was a fast hire. She can’t do her work without a phone and a laptop, and I need her working now.”

Manases’s eyes bulged. “O-of course! A thousand apologies, Your Majesty. Of course we can make accommodations for you!” He grabbed a pen and notepad from his desk. “What is the name of the new employee?”

“Persephone, Goddess of Spring.”

“What kind of security clearance should she have?” Manases asked, scribbling.

Hades considered this. “Tier 2 clearance.”

Manases looked up in surprise. “Tier 2?”

“Tier 2,” Hades was annoyed that the demon questioned him, but not surprised. Tier 2 security clearance was only one tier below his own, and was generally reserved for C-level executives.

“Got it. She should have a company email address set up already, so if you can give me a moment, I’ll get these ready for you!” Manases disappeared into the maze of cubicles.

While he waited, Hades leaned against the nearest wall and resumedd his line of thinking from the elevator.

_ Just because she dreamt about it doesn’t mean she actually wants you, you know. If that’s even what was happening. She’s had a rough couple weeks. She’s mixed up. Don’t go getting ideas in your head. _

“Your Majesty?”

Hades looked up to see Manases standing in front of him, laptop and phone in hand.

“Your new employee is all set up,” he said, handing the devices to Hades. “I went ahead and put all the chargers and cables into a bag for you,” he held up the bag in question. “There’s also a card in there that has Persephone’s phone number, phone security code, and laptop password. She’ll be prompted to change the code and password when she logs in for the first time.” 

“Thank you, Manases, I appreciate your flexibility in this matter,” Hades replied, taking the bag in his free hand. “Have a good day.”

Hades returned to his office and sat down at his desk, arranging the electronics and peripherals in front of him. He turned on the phone and tapped in the four digit passcode, skipping the prompt to reset it, and proceeded to enter Persephone’s contacts from her old phone. He scowled as he typed Apollo’s information. He saved Apollo as a contact, tapped the menu button, then tapped “Block contact”. 

“Are you sure? OK Cancel” the confirmation message popped up.

“You’re fucking right I’m sure,” he muttered as he tapped “OK”.

* * *

Persephone sat at her desk next to Thanatos working on month-end reports when her desk phone rang.

“Department of Soul Acquisition, this is Persephone, how may I help you?” she said into the receiver.

“Hello, Persephone from the Department of Soul Acquisition. This is Hades from the office of the CEO. Could you please report to my office at your earliest possible convenience?” 

The smile in his voice was contagious, and she found herself grinning like an idiot when she replied, “Certainly, sir, I’ll be up right away.” She laid the receiver back in the cradle, pushed back her chair, and stood up.

“Another  _ important meeting _ with Hades, huh?” Thanatos leaned back in his chair to smirk at her around the wall of his cubicle. “You have a lot of those; most interns never even get to meet him.”

Persephone tossed her head and gave him an exaggerated smirk in return. “I guess I’m just way more important than most interns,” she said, “Or you.” With that, she spun on her heel and swept off to the elevators.

Exiting the elevator on the 99th floor, Persephone took a deep breath before opening the door to Hades’s waiting area. Interacting with Minthe was...a challenge.

“Good morning, Minthe,” Persephone smiled as she approached Minthe’s desk. “How are you?”

Minthe gave her a flat look. “You don’t have an appointment.”

Persephone sighed. “He just called me and asked me to come up,” she replied, “like he’s done the last four times I’ve come up here.”

Minthe’s eyes flashed, “I am-”

“MINTHE!” Hades’s voice bellowed down the penthouse stairway, making both women jump. “IS PERSEPHONE HERE YET?”

Minthe bellowed back, “WHY DON’T YOU USE YOUR INTERCOM LIKE A NORMAL CEO?!”

Persephone’s eyebrows shot up, then she called, “I’m here, Hades! I’ll be right up!” She turned to Minthe and gave her a friendly wave. “Thanks!”

Hades stood up behind his desk as she entered the room. “Good morning, Persephone! Behold, I present you with a cornucopia of electronics.”

Persephone laughed as her eyes looked at the array of cables and devices on his desk. “This is so kind, Hades, I really appreciate it.”

“Nothing kind about it,” he said matter-of-factly. “You get all this stuff as a full-time employee. Now, like we talked about last night, I took care of all your voicemails and text messages for you.” She took the sheet of paper he handed her, with notes written in his careful, angular hand.

_ He writes in all capital letters. How cute. Wait, stop. He’s not cute. He’s your boss! _

Hades continued. “I moved your contacts over to your new work phone as well. Persephone,” Hades looked at her seriously. “I blocked Apollo’s number for you. I hope that’s okay.”

Persephone let out a breath she didn’t know she’d started holding and nodded. “Yes, thank you so much for doing that.”

“Of course, Crick-er, Persephone. I’m happy to help.” Hades cleared his throat as he loaded all the charging cables into the bag they’d come in. “This card here,” he held it out and she took it, “has all of your login information, so make sure you keep it someplace safe until you can get your password and PIN changed.” His eyes bugged a little bit as she tucked it into her bra, and she blushed and smirked all at once.

“Now,” Hades said, a trifle too loudly, “won’t you have a seat?” He gestured to the couches off to the side. They walked over together and sat, facing each other. She looked at him curiously.

“So. I have some...not great news for you,” Hades looked at her earnestly. “Before I begin I want to assure you that my entire legal team is at your disposal if you want it.”

Persephone’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline. “Legal team? What in the immortal realms would I need a legal team for?”

Hades sighed. “Persephone, Apollo is trying to blackmail you.”

Persephone blinked.

* * *

“Persephone, Apollo is trying to blackmail you.”

Hades held his breath, watching her carefully. She just blinked at him in confusion and disbelief.

He continued, I don’t know if you would remember it, but evidently Apollo took some pictures on the night he...came to your room.”

“Ah. Yes. I thought that seemed odd.” She seemed a little detached.

Hades looked at her, his brows furrowing slightly with concern.

“So he’s, what?” Persephone said, “Threatening to show them to people if I don’t agree to be his girlfriend or something?”

Hades nodded. “Yeah, that’s pretty much the long and the short of it.” His heart hurt as he watched her deflate. “Kore, I’m so sorry.”

“I honestly don’t think I can take much more of this,” she mumbled to her lap. “What am I supposed to do?” She looked up at him, desperate. “Hades, what am I supposed to do?!”

He knelt down in front of her and took her hands. “What we do is ultimately up to you. If you want, you can sit down with my attorney and she can talk to you about your options and give you the information you need to make a decision. But you  _ don’t _ need to decide anything right this second.”

Persephone took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll think about that.” His heart leapt as she squeezed his hands. “Hades what did I do to deserve a friend like you?”

He chuckled. “You got dumped in my backseat, as I recall. An unfortunate turn of events, but I can’t say I’m upset that it happened.” He peered at her. “Are you okay? You can take the rest of the day off if you need to.”

“I honestly don’t know what I’d do,” she sighed. “I need to keep my mind off things. But...do you think I could work up here with you?” She looked at him shyly through her eyelashes.

_ Fates, does she know what she’s doing when she does that?! _

“Of course, make yourself comfortable,” he smiled. “Should I make some coffee?”


	9. Chapter 9

Hades stood in front of the door to the apartment he rented for Minthe, waiting impatiently for her to answer. She always made him wait a ridiculously long time before she’d open the door. It was annoying.

The door finally swung open to reveal the river nymph, red skin glowing and clad in a scanty black lace number that barely covered, well, anything, and a flowing sheer black robe. Her thick black hair swirled around her shoulders and down her back.

“Hello, Hades,” she breathed. “Do please come in.”

Hades suppressed an eyeroll as he walked past her toward the living room. He was worried that she would do something like this. Of course, she didn’t  _ know  _ that he was there to break up with her, but he’d sensed that she was feeling insecure and thought there might be some attempt at seduction tonight.

She closed and locked the door and followed him, stretching herself up the side of the entryway to the living room to show her lean body to best advantage. “Why don’t you take your coat off, Hades?”

Turning, he looked her in the eye and repeated his therapist’s words in his head like a mantra. “ _ Hades, this is a toxic relationship. You’re never going to be able to fully heal until you get this negative presence out of your life.” _

“What I have to say isn’t going to take very long,” He took a deep breath. “Minthe, this is over. This arrangement is not what I want anymore. We’re done. For real. For good.”

He watched her warily as this revelation sunk in, body tensed, ready for the assault he knew was coming.

Minthe drew herself up and stared daggers at him. “What do you mean, Hades?”

“I mean it’s over. I’ve given the landlord 60 days notice that the lease will be broken, so you’ll need to find another place to live. I’ve also made arrangements with HR to have you moved to a different department to make things as painless as possible.” Hades kept his eyes on her, his head on a swivel.

“Another. Department?” Minthe breathed. “Who’s going to take over as your PA? That little pink  _ slut _ you’ve been spending all your time with?”

Hades crossed the room in one long stride and put a finger in her face. “You will  _ never _ speak of her that way again. Do you understand me?”

Minthe glowered at him, and he caught her wrist just before she was able to rake her nails down his face. He caught the other wrist and held her at arm’s length, stepping backward out of the reach of her frantically kicking legs.

“You sonofabitch! You cheating, traitorous bastard!” Hades didn’t have any trouble keeping her restrained, but he was very,  _ very  _ tired of this bullshit. It happened like this every time they broke up. And they broke up a lot.

He squeezed her wrists harder. “Minthe, you need to stop this.  _ Stop it. _ Have some dignity, for Fates sake!”

This seemed to take her aback. She yanked her hands away from him and backed up, staring at him wild-eyed. He quickly moved the other direction, headed for the front door. 

“Report to HR on Monday. They’ll give you your new assignment.” Hades turned the deadbolt and grasped the doorknob. He looked up to see Minthe heading toward him with murder in her eyes. He wrenched the door open, slipped to the other side, and slammed it shut again. He heard her body slam against the door, accompanied by incoherent shrieks. 

He didn’t bother with the elevator, opting instead to take the stairs. His long legs took them three at a time and he took a deep breath as he reached the ground floor.

“There. That’s done.” 

As he headed to his car, he heard a crash on the sidewalk just behind him, broken glass pelting his legs. He whirled around to see a mangled microwave on the sidewalk where he’d just passed. He looked up to see Minthe leaning out the broken window.

“How’s that for your security deposit, you fucking asshole!” Minthe screamed at him. “You will regret the moment you met that little pink tramp!”

Hades looked up at her blandly, then turned and walked away.


	10. Chapter 10

Hades turned the key in the lock of his front door and tiredly pushed it open. It was late. He’d been physically assaulted. He’d had a microwave almost drop on his head. He needed a drink.

The dogs scrambled to greet him and he smiled as they vied for his attention. He let them outside, pulling a hand down his face.  _ What a fucking night. _

He shed his coat and hung it up in the entryway closet, then headed for the wet bar in the living room to pour himself a glass of whiskey. He noticed that a light was on and as he rounded the corner he was brought up short by the sleeping pink form curled up on the couch. 

He looked at her for a moment, bemused, and then quietly crept across the room to the wet bar. He went to grab a glass and then cringed when it clinked loudly against its fellows. He cast a glance over his shoulder and saw that Persephone was stirring.

He poured the whiskey for himself, then walked over and sat on the other end of the couch and took a sip while she got her bearings. He tried to ignore the way his heart squeezed as she blinked at him.

“Hey,” he said softly.

“Hey,” she replied, scrubbing her face. “What time is it?”

“About eleven,” he replied, taking another sip. “Do you want a drink?”

“I haven’t really ever...had drinks before,” she said cautiously. “Except the night that Eros dumped me in your backseat. What are you drinking there?” She crawled across the couch to him.

“This is a 30-year single malt whiskey,” Hades replied. “I’m not sure it’s really up your alley.”

Persephone sat on her heels next to him. “Can I try it?”

“Sure,” he handed her the glass, waiting for the inevitable wrinkling of the nose.

Persephone sniffed the golden brown liquid and tilted her head. “Hm,” she hummed. Putting the glass to her lips, she took a small sip, rolling it around in her mouth a little.

“Oh,” she swallowed. “That’s lovely. It tastes like...burned wood? But with a floral taste. And then honey at the end!” She handed the glass back. “May I have some?”

Hades’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. “Absolutely.” He walked over to the wet bar, poured her a tot, straight, and handed it to her as he sat back down. “I’m kind of surprised that you’re into it. Whiskey and scotch are usually an acquired taste.”

“I just like it,” Persephone shrugged, essaying a sip of her own drink. “Mmmm, that’s so good. And I feel like there’s a little fire in my belly now.”

Hades chuckled. “Welcome to the wonderful world of whiskey, Cricket.” He took another sip of his own drink and winked. His stomach fluttered as she smiled at him over the rim of her glass.

They sipped in companionable silence for a few moments, casting occasional shy glances at one another. Persephone finally broke the silence. 

“What were you up to tonight?” she asked, studying her glass as she rolled it between her palms.

Hades looked at her and smiled wryly. “Again with the invasive questions, eh?”

Persephone’s head jerked up. “Oh! Oh, no. I’m not trying to be nosey. I was just making conversation…” she trailed off.

Hades raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

“Well. I guess I was a little curious.” She blushed.

“It’s fine, Cricket. I suppose now’s as good a time as any to tell you that I also didn’t tell the truth when we were on the phone Sunday night.” Hades sighed.

Persephone’s gaze sharpened. “What do you mean?”

“I told you I wasn’t seeing anybody. The situation was complicated, but strictly speaking that wasn’t true.” 

Persephone's eyes fell back down to her glass. Hades took a deep breath. 

“Until tonight Minthe was more than an ‘associate’. We've been seeing each other for quite a long time. But my therapist helped me realize that it was really toxic, and I needed to break it off.” Hades watched Persephone carefully. 

“I actually made the decision on Saturday night, right before I got to the party. Tonight was the first opportunity I've had to actually end it. So I did. It's done.” 

Persephone looked up. “Why didn't you just tell me?” 

Hades shook his head. “I don’t know. I guess I just wanted it to be true.”

* * *

“I don’t know. I guess I just wanted it to be true.”

Persephone looked up at him. She was almost done with her whiskey and her entire body was suffused with warmth. He looked sad. It tugged at her heart strings. She wanted him to understand that she wasn’t mad. She wanted him to not be sad.

Feeling brazen, Persephone drained her glass, set it on the coffee table, and climbed into Hades’s lap, straddling him. She took his face in both her hands.

“I can’t be mad about it, really. I didn’t tell the truth either. So it’s okay.” She gave him a little smooch on the nose and grinned at him.    
  
Hades chuckled. “You are a silly person sometimes, Cricket. But I’m glad you’re not upset. I was worried.”

“You’re sweet,” she murmured, and leaned forward to place a long, gentle kiss on his cheek, near the corner of his mouth, pressing her breasts in to his chest.

Hades took her wrists and pulled her hands away from his face, breaking her lips’ contact with his cheek, eyebrows climbing his forehead .

“Persephone, what are you doing?”

She tilted her head to the side and frowned. “You look sad. I don’t want you to be sad. And,” she pulled her hands free, placing them back on his cheeks. “I like looking at your dorky face.”

On impulse, she leaned in and brushed her lips against his. They were warm and soft. She felt her heartbeat speed up, and wondered if his did, too. She drew back enough to meet his eyes. They were wide with disbelief. His hands were frozen in the air as though he didn’t know what to do with them. 

It was her turn to grab his wrists. She brought his arms around her, enjoying the feel of his big, warm hands on her back. She replaced her hands on his face and leaned back in to press her lips to his again, more confidently. Her hands slid around to the back of his head and her fingers buried in his hair as she nipped his lower lip with her teeth. Hades let out a strangled groan and gave in, wrapping one arm around her waist to pull her in tight and burying the other hand in her hair, finally returning her kiss. 

Persephone smiled against his mouth and parted her lips, letting his tongue dart in to lightly touch her own. His lips were soft but firm as they moved against hers and she felt the fire the whiskey had built in her belly travel down, down until it came to rest between her legs. 

Hades finally broke off the kiss and looked at her incredulously.

“Persephone, what are you  _ doing? _ ” He was breathless.

“I’m doing what I want, “ she replied, breathless herself, running her hands down his neck to rest on his chest, playing with the buttons of his shirt. “What do you want?” She rolled her hips slightly against him.

Hades breathed in loudly through his nose and exhaled in a growl, then took her wrists again and gently pulled them away. “Why don’t you ask me again when you’re sober,” he said, looking intently into her eyes. “If we ever do this I want to be absolutely sure that your mind is clear.”

Persephone frowned. Her mind  _ was _ clear. Wasn’t it? Now she wasn’t sure. She slid off his lap and stood in front of him. “I’m sorry if I did something wrong,” she began, “I thought-”

“No!” he interrupted. “It was very-” his voice hitched and he cleared his throat, “...nice. But I think the whiskey has lowered your inhibitions a bit. I’d be more comfortable knowing that...well, knowing that it’s not the whiskey talking. Does that make sense?”

He patted the seat next to him and she sat down on the couch next to him, tucking her legs under her and leaning her head on his shoulder.

“Yes, it makes sense,” she said, sighing. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“Don’t worry about it, Cricket, you’re fine.”


	11. Chapter 11

Hades followed Persephone as she danced and twirled down the hallway to her room, hips swaying and undulating. 

_ Buzzed Persephone is a force of nature _ . 

When she got to her door she blew him a kiss and, without a word, floated into the room and closed the door. 

He stared at it for several heartbeats before shaking his head and moving down the hall to his own room.

He hadn’t been surprised when Persephone climbed in his lap. He was quickly learning that casual physical contact was natural for her and, while he generally didn't care to be touched, he actually found it quite pleasant coming from her.

The kiss on his nose  _ had _ been a surprise and he chuckled again at her mischievous look. But that kiss on his cheek, so close to the corner of his mouth...that had been a shock. And the feeling of her breasts pressing full against his chest set his imagination spinning before he’d gotten his faculties back under control.

But that control had been short-lived. When her lips touched his the first time it was like he’d been struck by one of Zeus’s lightning bolts. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t think. He’d come back to himself when she’d put his arms around her. He told himself he’d been just about to pull her soft lips off his. Until she so gently bit his lip. At that, his self-control had unraveled and for a few glorious moments he lost himself in the taste of her beautiful, generous mouth and feel of her soft body in his hands. It took everything in him to finally stop it.

_ “What do you want?” _

Hades groaned at the recollection of those tiny fingers plucking at his shirt buttons and the seductive roll of her generous hips over his pelvis. It was a good thing she moved off his lap when she did; his rapidly firming erection had been dangerously close to betraying him.

He knew what he wanted. He knew  _ exactly _ what he wanted. But until tonight, he hadn’t even considered the possibility that he might be able to have it.

He shut his bedroom door and shed his clothing, not bothering to hang anything up. He turned out the light, pulled back the covers, and flopped down on the bed naked, one arm flung out to the side, the other hand splayed across his belly.

“ _ They say drunk actions equal sober thoughts,” _ he said to himself.  _ “Well, Zeus and Poseidon say that. So maybe that’s not the right way to look at it.” _ He sighed.  _ “She didn’t seem like she was particularly drunk, but if something were to ever happen I  _ don’t _ want it to happen like that.” _

He closed his eyes and remembered how soft her lips felt against his. The way her full breasts felt against his chest. How he could just feel the heat of her through his trousers as she straddled his lap. His cock began to stir and he groaned. The hand on his belly slid down and began slow stroking, seeing her beautiful flushed cheeks and shining eyes in his mind, feeling her fingers lightly tugging at his hair. He recalled the way she nipped his lip with her teeth and his erection surged to full mast.

* * *

Persephone floated down the hallway, dancing and smiling to herself. She enjoyed the way she felt after one drink. She felt warm, and confident, and bold. 

She arrived at her bedroom door, executed a graceful turn, blew Hades a kiss, and went inside. Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it and sighed. Part of her was worried that he stopped her because he didn’t like kissing her, but she didn’t think that was right. It was so hard to tell.

She pulled off her tank top and then stepped out of her yoga pants and underwear, stretching. She usually slept in those clothes, but she didn’t feel like it tonight. She felt warm. Her skin felt tight, like the slightest touch would set her on fire.

She crawled into bed, sighing at the feel of the cold sheets sliding over her skin. She lay on her back, one arm flung out, the other hand splayed across her belly.

_ “I really think he liked it. The way he put his fingers in my hair and pulled me close. It felt so good.” _ She sighed.  _ I understand why he stopped me, but I wish he hadn’t.” _

She closed her eyes and thought about how warm his lips were as they pressed against hers. The way his fingers tugged just a little as they curled in her hair. The way he growled when she ground her hips against him. The fire between her legs intensified and she hummed. The hand on her belly slid down between her legs and her finger began slowly circling the sensitive nub she found there, seeing the desperate longing in his eyes, feeling her body crushed against his as his powerful arms pulled her to him, the way he groaned against her mouth, and she slid her finger down to capture the gush of arousal.

✬✬✬

_ Persephone rolled her hips against him and he growled low in his throat, his stomach tightening. He looked deep in her eyes and groaned at the naked desire he saw there. He lowered his head and captured her bottom lip between his own, sliding his hands under her tank top and splaying his hands over her ribs. He smiled against her mouth as she whimpered at his warm touch. _

_ She broke off the kiss and he watched as she grasped the hem of her shirt and pulled it up and off, tossing it aside. His hands rested just below the generous swell of her breasts, large and full, her dark pink areolas crinkled around nipples hard with lust. He slid his hands up to cup them gently, savoring the weight of them in his palms. They were more than a handful, even for him. He watched her face as he brushed a thumb over one nipple, gratified by her reaction. _

✿✿✿

_ Hades’s thumb brushed over one of her nipples and she cried out, arching her back. The touch caused such a wave of warm desire to flood between her legs that she found herself involuntarily rolling her hips against his again. That’s when she felt it. Something hard, pressing against her through his trousers. She looked at him and the hunger in his eyes made her shiver.  _

_ Her fingers trembled as she unbuttoned his shirt, exposing the hard blue expanse of his chest, criss-crossed by light blue luminescent scars. She leaned in to kiss him again as she explored the planes of his torso. Her fingers trailed out over his collar bones, then down over his chest. She smiled when he gasped as her finger tips trailed over his nipples in turn, then broke the kiss and looked at him when her hands came to rest on his muscled stomach.  _

✬✬✬

_ Hades shrugged out of his shirt as her little pink hands explored every inch of his torso, her touch leaving trails of fire against his skin. _

_ “What do you want, Hades?” she whispered, large pink eyes meeting his. He caught her lips in another fervent kiss, then pulled away. “I want to see you, Kore,” he said hoarsely. “Please let me see you.” _

_ She slid off his lap and stood before him. She never broke eye contact as she slid her pink yoga pants over her hips and dropped them on floor at her feet. Her underwear quickly followed, and she stepped out of the puddle of clothing, kicking it out of the way. She now stood before him as Gaia made her, round and soft and perfect. _

_ His gaze slid hungrily from her delicate ankles, past the curve of calf, up to thick, powerful thighs and wide, round hips. He followed the lines of silver-pink stretch marks to the triangle of pink curls atop her mound, hiding her treasures from him. His eyes traveled up again, over the soft swell of her belly, past her narrow waist and full, perfect breasts, to the patch of darker pink staining her chest, her neck, her cheeks, suffusing her whole visage with radiant, sensual beauty. _

_ Acutely aware of his obstructed arousal, Hades still leaned forward to grasp her hips and gently turn her around. His hands followed his eyes as they slid from her freckled shoulders down the flawless pink skin of her back, to the large, round swell of her buttocks. He grasped one in each hand, weighing and squeezing, then ran his palms across them back to her hips, turning her back to face him. _

_ “What do  _ you _ want, Persephone?” he asked, his eyes meeting hers. _

✿✿✿

_ “What do  _ you _ want, Persephone?” Hades asked her, his gaze so intent she felt rooted where she stood. _

_ “I want you, Hades. I want you inside me. Please,” she breathed. She took an involuntary step backward as Hades surged off the couch, discarding the rest of his own clothing. The King of the Underworld stood before her in all his glory, and she gasped at the rugged, angular beauty of him. His broad shoulders and chest narrowed down to a flat stomach and trim waist, supported by the swell of long, muscular legs and a tight, round ass. And at the center of all that beauty was the swollen length of his arousal, twitching in anticipation. _

_ Captivated, she wrapped her fingers around him, eliciting a loud, throaty moan from Hades. He was thick and velvety soft, and her loins burned to feel him fill her aching need. Releasing him, she placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed him back onto the couch, climbing back up to straddle him. She felt his shaft against her ass and tilted her hips back slightly to rub against it, hoping to tease another moan out of him. It worked, and she grinned. She felt  _ powerful _ . _

_ Lifting herself up, hands on his shoulders for balance, she positioned herself above him and tilted her hips until she felt the blunt tip of his cock align with her hot, tight entrance. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him gently but thoroughly, then slowly sank down onto his rock hard member. _

✬✬✬

_ Hades held her by the waist as she lifted herself over him and groaned as the head of his cock slid between her folds, ardently returning her kiss. Then she lowered herself onto him and his eyes rolled back in his head. When he looked at her again, her eyes were closed and he was certain she was enjoying the pulse of her walls around him as much as he was. _

_ Her eyes opened and she looked at him for a moment, and then gave an experimental roll of her hips. They both gasped at the sensation, looking at each other wide-eyed. She gave another roll, then another, and another. She found a rhythm, and Hades sat back to watch her, stroking shoulders, back, hips, breasts, as she rode him, the white-hot knot of arousal in his loins slowly growing with each stroke. _

_ She started to tire a little bit, and Hades decided it was his turn to do the pleasing. He grasped her ass in both hands and lifted her slightly, then slowly thrust his hips upward, sliding into her. A pleased smile flitted across his lips at the sounds she made for him. _

✿✿✿

_ Persephone knelt over Hades as he slowly moved in and out of her sensitive channel. She didn’t know anything could feel so good. She closed her eyes and brought her thumbs up to brush and stroke her nipples, moaning loudly as the sensation coursing through her body to the tight bundle of nerves at the top of her sex.  _

_ He held her suspended, unable to move her hips, only able to receive the intense pleasure he had to give her. She felt him tilt his hips slightly to change the angle and suddenly a whole new pressure started building as the head of his cock rubbed across the sensitive patch at the front of her tunnel. She heard Hades chuckle as she tensed and gasped. _

_ Hades gradually picked up speed, the pressure inside her building at a steady, mind-numbing pace. Persephone’s fingers flicked quickly over her sensitive nippes and her cries of pleasure grew louder with each thrust. His grunts grew louder and he started muttering endearments to her as he moved in her. She could feel him start to tense under her, his movements becoming more jerky and quick. _

_ Her body responded in kind. The pressure inside her was intolerable and her entire body tensed, on the cusp for interminable seconds, until the dam burst and and she came around him with a wail. As she jerked and seized, she was dimly aware of Hades roaring her name as she twitched and spasmed around him. _

✬✬✬

_ “Oh, Fates. Oh, Kore. You are so beautiful. You feel so good, my love. Oh, my darling, I can feel that. That’s right, Kore. That’s right, my goddess. Come for me. Come for me. Come fo-” _

_ Persephone’s walls clenched around him and the spasms milked his cock until he roared her name, finding his own finish in tandem with hers. He pulled her down onto him as he spilled himself into her in hot spurts.  _

✿✿✿

Persephone frantically thrust her fingers into her wet sex, bucking her hips up to meet them, the heel of her hand providing grinding pressure on her throbbing, swollen clit. She finally came with an inarticulate cry and seized up, curling into the fetal position with her hand trapped between her legs, her body jerking as each orgasmic jolt passed through her.

At last the sensations subsided into a warm, glowing satisfaction and she uncurled herself, flopping onto to her back, panting. The pleasant hum between her legs slowly faded, and as she drifted toward sleep she told herself there was no way anybody actually called out “Kore!” when she came, no matter what she thought she heard.   
  


✬✬✬

Hades spurted his completion with a roar of “Kore!”, his entire body shaking from the force of his orgasm. His stomach muscles spasmed, pulling his torso up off the bed until the waves of his climax finally receded. He lay on his back, chest heaving, hoping that she hadn’t heard him cry out her name. He hadn’t meant to be that loud. But it all seemed so real...so real that he thought he’d actually heard her cry out when he came, even though he knew that wasn’t possible.


	12. Chapter 12

Persephone woke the next morning with a dry mouth. As she lay blinking in the artificial early morning light that filled her room, memories of the day before washed over her.

Waking up in Hades’s bed. The confrontations with Apollo, Artemis, and Hestia. Hades comforting her. Trying a taste of Hades’s whiskey. Kissing Hades…

_ Holy Fates, I tried to seduce Hades! I  _ failed _ to seduce Hades! _ Persephone sat straight up in bed and slapped her hand to her forehead.  _ How am I supposed to even look him in the eye after making a fool of myself like that?! _

She flopped back on the bed and looked at the clock. 6:45.  _ SHIT. No time for a shower. _ She hauled herself out of bed and got dressed, thinking furiously.  _ I wonder if there’s a bus I can catch, instead of riding in with him...of course there’s no bus. Nobody else lives up here, why would the King of the Underworld’s house be on a bus route? Stupid. _

She was hurriedly fixing her hair when there was a knock on her door. Her head snapped up.

“Y-yes?” she croaked.

“Good morning, Cricket,” Hades deep rumbling voice came through the door. “Do you want coffee this morning?”

“Oh!” She felt herself blush.  _ He called me Cricket! _ “Yes please, that would be wonderful! I’ll be ready in just a minute.”

“Sounds good.” She heard his footsteps retreat down the hallway.

She stood up and look at herself in the full length mirror. Brown tweed slacks, ivory blouse with a fashionable bow at the throat, and a chocolate brown cardigan. Professional, but appropriately casual for a Friday. She slipped on a pair of brown ballet flats and hurried out to the kitchen.

* * *

Hades sat at the breakfast bar, nervously tapping his fingers on his coffee mug. Persephone had been buzzed the night before, but not drunk. She would definitely remember what happened. Would she be upset with him for rejecting her? 

He looked up as she came into the kitchen, looking harried and avoiding eye contact. She slid onto the stool next to him and took a sip of the coffee he’d set there for her. She was quiet, her eyes glued to the countertop.

Hades sat quietly, too, watching her from the corner of his eye, unsure what to say, or whether he should say anything at all. He finally settled on, “You look very nice in brown.”

_ Nice? You look like a chocolate raspberry truffle and I want to eat...STOP IT. _

Persephone looked up in surprise. “I...thank you. I’ve never really worn this color before and I’m a little self conscious. That makes me feel better.” She smiled at him shyly, the ice between them starting to thaw.

“We should probably get going,” Hades observed, checking the clock. “Do you want to stop for donuts on the way in?”

Persephone jumped off her stool and snatched up her coat. “I LOVE DONUTS.”

* * *

Persephone held the box of donuts in her lap as they sped toward Underworld Corp HQ. Things between them that morning hadn’t really been awkward, per se, but neither of them were particularly talkative. Hades seemed lost in thought, and she just couldn’t think of anything to say.

Hades finally broke the silence. “So, I’ve been thinking about your school situation,” he said. “I think I might have a solution.”

Persephone looked at him, eyebrows raised almost to her hairline. “Hades, no,” she began, “I cannot ask you to-”

He raised his hand to stop her. “That’s not what I mean. I thought about offering to pay for your schooling, but I knew you wouldn’t accept,” he smiled at her. “Hecate has been after me to add tuition reimbursement to the employee benefits package for centuries. The proposal is actually in its final stages and slated to go live during open enrollment in a couple months.”

Persephone stared at her clasped hands in her lap, furiously blinking away tears. Eyes on the road, Hades didn’t notice.

“As a full-time employee of Underworld Corporation, you’re entitled to this benefit. Now, technically speaking you’re supposed to be employed no fewer than 6 months before you can use it, but we can work around that. That way you’ll only behind a semester, instead of a whole year. There are some benefits to being friends with the CEO.” Hades looked at her with an expectant smile.

Persephone choked back a sob, burying her face in her hands.

“Kore! Oh no, Kore, what is it? Did I say something wrong?” Hades pulled the car over to the side of the road and shifted in his seat to look at her. “What is it, Cricket?”

Persephone looked up at him with tears streaming down her face. “What did I do to deserve you?” she said. “You cared for me when Eros dumped me in your back seat. You let me basically move into your house with no questions asked. You didn’t hesitate to hire me as a full time employee when I blew up my entire life. And now you’ve figured out how I can continue my education without being beholden to you because you knew I wouldn’t let you pay for it. And that after I got drunk and tried to seduce you.” She laugh-sobbed as she reached over and squeezed his hand. “You’re too good to me, Hades.”

His eyes grew intent as she looked up at him. “Nothing is too good for you, Persephone,” he said softly, his fingers tightening around hers. His eyes held her in place for several heartbeats; then he blushed and looked away, clearing his throat. “You’re a good person, and you’re my friend. I’m happy to help you.”

“Thank you, Hades. You’re a good person, too.”

Hades put the car in gear and pulled back onto the road.


	13. Chapter 13

Hades sat on the couch sipping whiskey and idly flipping through the most recent issue of  _ The Underworld Economist _ . Most of the lights in the living spaces were off and Hades had put on a playlist of downtempo music, giving the room a relaxing, cozy feel. Persephone was curled up on the other end of the couch, sipping a cup of tea and reading the volume of Greek epic poems she’d started the night before. He couldn’t stop himself from looking over and covertly observing her every couple minutes.

She leaned against the armrest with her legs tucked under her, cheek resting on one hand while she followed the lines of text with the index finger of her other hand. Her lounge-around clothes were really nothing special: yoga pants, a tank top, a hoodie, and slippers. But there was something about the way the stretchy fabric hugged the curves of her body that made it virtually impossible for him to pull his eyes away from her.

He had just looked away to grab his glass of whiskey from the end table when he heard a little squeak from the other end of the couch. He looked over and saw Persephone stretching, her fists balled up and thrust as high in the air has she could reach. Then she leaned back.

The movement pulled her tank top up, exposing her midriff and thrusting her pert breasts into the air. She flexed her fingers as she stretched even further back, groaning, and then collapsed forward again. She scrubbed her fingers through her short hair, leaving it standing on end, as she sighed and turned back to her book.

Hades didn’t know it was possible to be amused and aroused at the same time.

“You look like a hedgehog,” he observed with a chuckle. 

Persephone looked at him, eyes glinting with mischief. “Hedgehogs are extremely cute, so I will take that as a compliment,” she replied, burying her fingers in her hair and scrubbing it to even greater heights of silliness. She then laced her fingers together and placed her hands under her chin, tilting her head and fluttering her eyelashes at him in a most exaggerated fashion.

Hades stared. He knew he had an idiotic look on his face, that  _ stupid _ lopsided grin, but he didn’t even care. She was without a doubt the most adorable person he’d ever seen and he was already having trouble imagining his house without her in it.

“Persephone, what do you want?” he asked abruptly.

Persephone dropped her hands and stopped fluttering her lashes, but her head remained tilted in curiosity. “What do you mean?”

“Last night you told me you were doing what you wanted. And you asked me what I wanted,” he said, taking a deep breath and resolving to not chicken out. “I know what I want. I want to know what you want. Here, now, without the whiskey loosening your tongue.”

Persephone’s cheeks blushed a deep pink, but she didn’t break eye contact with him. “Well now,” she said softly, “I’m not sure that’s entirely fair, Hades.” She set her book aside and turned her body so she was facing him.

“Wh-what’s not fair?” Hades swallowed with some difficulty.

“The question,” she replied. “I think I was very clear about what it was that  _ I _ wanted last night.” She crawled across the couch to him and sat back on her heels. “So what is it that  _ you _ want, Hades?”

Hades felt heat stain his cheeks.

* * *

Persephone knelt next to Hades on the couch, hoping she looked calmer than she actually felt. Her stomach was in knots. She felt that sensation of heat pooling between her thighs. Her hands were clasped in her lap to keep them from shaking. She schooled her face to an expression of what she hoped was flirtatious amusement and waited expectantly for the answer to her question. Hades’s eyes were glued to hers and he had the most extraordinary expression on his face, part grin, part panic, part desire. 

Persephone didn’t know it was possible to be amused and aroused at the same time.

“Well?” she prompted after a few heartbeats passed.

“Persephone, please,” he said. “I  _ have _ to hear it from you first. So I know that I’m not wrong. Please.”

She felt her expression soften at his concern, his desire for her consent. She placed one hand gently on his shoulder and cupped his cheek with the other, brushing the tip of his nose with her own. “I want you, Hades. I want all of you.”

His eyes grew wide, as though he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard, and she laughed. “Is it that hard to belie-ah!” Her sentence cut off with a cry as he seized her around her waist and pulled her around and into his lap. His eyes roved over her face as though trying to memorize it, and then he lowered his lips to hers.

Persephone relaxed into the embrace, bringing her arms around his neck and burying her fingers in his hair, parting her lips to let his tongue brush gently against her own. When they came up for air she let out a breathy laugh. “That’s all very well and good, Hades, but you still haven’t answered my question.”

He smiled sweetly as he looked into her eyes. “I want you, Persephone. I’ve wanted you since the first moment I laid eyes on you.”

“As long as all that?” she teased, extricating herself from his embrace and backing away. She grinned at the befuddled look on his face. “Well then. What are you prepared to do about it?”

An answering grin spread across Hades’s face as he caught on to her little game and suddenly lunged at her. She nimbly sprung out of the way and took off down the hallway, shrieking with laughter as she heard him scramble up to chase her.


	14. Chapter 14

Hades felt a grin spread across his face as he realized what Persephone was playing at. He lunged at her, grabbing for her arm, but the little minx was quick and leapt out of the way. He landed on his hands and knees as she darted down the hallway, laughing hysterically.

Hades scrambled to his feet and took off after her. “Come here!” he growled. She shrieked, looking at him over her shoulder.

Hades’s legs were considerably longer than Persephone’s and he was able to catch up with her in about a dozen strides, despite the false start. He caught her around her waist and swung her up in the air. Her laughter was contagious. He set her down and pulled her around to face him, cupping her cheeks in his hands and placing a gentle kiss on her soft lips. He felt her body instinctively draw toward him.

He broke off the kiss then and bent to scoop her up and sling her over his shoulder, giving her ample ass a sound smack. Persephone whooped in surprise and dissolved in breathless giggles as he carried her down the hall to the bedroom.

He tossed her on the bed, grinning like a fool as she bounced and flailed and laughed. She looked up at him, cheeks pink with hilarity and eyes glowing, and his grin softened. He crawled onto the bed next to her and gathered her into his arms, raining gentle kisses down on her hair and face.

They lay there for a long moment, looking into each others eyes. “Are you certain you want to do this?” he asked quietly.

Persephone reached up and brushed a wayward lock of hair out of his eyes. “Hades, I have never wanted anything more in my entire life.” She reached up and pulled his face down to hers, capturing his lips in a tender kiss.

* * *

Persephone’s body felt electrified as he pulled her close and deepened their kiss. Her arms snaked up around his neck and she ran her fingers through his soft white hair, relishing the feeling of the silky strands between her fingers.

She sighed as Hades lips moved down her jaw, leaving a hot trail of kisses to her throat. He gently nipped the tender flesh there with his teeth and she gasped, arching against him. She felt more than heard his rumbling chuckle at her reaction.

He brought his lips back up to hers and started a slow, careful exploration of her body. Her fingers squeezed his broad shoulders as he slid his hand over the outside curve of her breast, across her ribs, down to the generous swell of hip and buttock. She gave an encouraging hum against his mouth and pushed into his hand when he squeezed her buttcheek.

Persephone slid her hands down the hard plane of his torso and back up again. Her fingers flicked open the buttons of his shirt, and Hades lay back to let her make her own explorations. 

She knelt next to him and pulled his shirt out of the waistband of his trousers opening it up to reveal a smooth expanse of muscled chest and abdomen, crisscrossed by luminescent light blue scars. She frowned as she traced the smooth, raised lines across his body and looked up at him in question.

“Souvenirs from the Titanomachy, sweetness,” he murmured. “I’ll tell you about it someday. They don’t hurt anymore.”

Persephone nodded wordlessly and bent to press kisses across his torso, as though she would remove the scars and their memories with the power of her affection for him. Her fingers splayed across his ribs and slid down to the front of his trousers as she experimentally flicked the tip of her tongue over one of his nipples. She smiled at the hissed intake of breath it elicited and filed that information away for later.

* * *

Hades sucked in a breath as Persephone flicked her tongue over his nipple, a surging ache filling his loins. He sat up, surreptitiously adjusting himself inside his trousers. He cupped her face in his hands and gentle kissed her, then drew away to pull his shirt off.

Persephone followed suit, shedding her hoodie and dropping it on the floor next to the bed. Hades’s eyes were drawn to the purpling hand-print-shaped bruise Apollo had left on her upper arm, his face turning grim.

“Hades,” the quiet firmness in her voice pulling his eyes up to hers. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” he replied, gently stroking the bruised flesh. “I will never let anything like that happen to you ever again, Persephone, I swear it.”

Her gentle smile squeezed his heart in his chest. “I need to be able to take care of myself, my darling. But I appreciate the sentiment more than you know.”

He watched as she grasped the hem of her tank top and pulled it up over her head revealing her perfect, round breasts. He reached out and drew a finger from the hollow of her throat down between them to her belly button, marveling at her soft, perfect skin. He ran the back of his hand back up and brushed the underside of one breast, the corner of his mouth quirking up at the deep breath she took at his touch.

“You are so beautiful,” he murmured, extending his other hand and cupping both breasts in his hands, weighing them. They were more than a handful, even for him. He brushed his thumbs over her nipples and grinned when she cried out, meeting her wide-eyed gaze with his own.

“Hades,” she breathed, “I want to see you. Please.”

Hades was happy to oblige, levering himself off the bed and turning to face her. He unbuckled his belt and unfasted his trousers, then whisked it all over his erection and down to the floor in one smooth motion. As he straightened up he searched her face carefully for signs of distress, but all he saw was a naked desire that hardened his cock even further.

Persephone crawled to the edge of the bed. “Come closer,” she said. He did. He breathed in deeply through his nose as her tiny hands ran over his ribs and down the lines of his abdomen to the thatch of white hair surrounding the evidence of his desire. She wrapped her fingers around him at the base and drew the flat of her tongue experimentally over the sensitive head. Hades clenched his jaw at the soft caress of her tongue and fingers, his hips giving a stuttering thrust. With an enormous effort, he took her by the shoulders and stepped away.

“I-I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?” Persephone looked worried.

“Gods, Sweetness, no. But I want our first time to be about you. I want to make sure that it-it’s good for you.” He blushed.  _ I’m the God of the Underworld. I’m a  _ king _ . Why am I blushing _ ?

He took her hands and drew her up and off the bed, kneeling on the floor before her. He placed gentle kisses across her belly as he hooked his thumbs over the waist of her yoga pants. As he pulled them down he kissed each newly revealed bit of skin. She buried her fingers in his hair and he hummed in pleasure at her touch.

He placed the final kiss directly above the line of soft pink curls at the apex of her thighs, and rested his forehead against her stomach as he pulled the pants the rest of the way down, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her arousal.

He ran his hands back up her legs, over her hips, bringing them to rest on her hips as she stepped out of the pants. He slowly stood and scooped her up and laid her gently on the bed. She reached her arms up to him, wordlessly, and he lay down next to her, pressing a kiss against her mouth and cupping one of her breasts in his hand.

She gasped against his mouth as he brushed his thumb over her nipple again, and he broke off their kiss to lower his head and capture her other nipple between his lips, lightly flicking his tongue over the sensitive dark pink nub. He pulled back slightly to watch it harden, the areola crinkling around it.

“Ah!” she cried out as he flicked his tongue again, then drew the taught bud into his mouth. Her hips bucked upward, her legs spread, instinctively seeking pressure. Hades moved over her and knelt between her legs. He cupped a breast in each hand and gently rolled her nipples between thumb and forefinger, eliciting another throaty moan. 

Hades slid his hands to either side of her torso, pressing her breasts together and leaned over her to lave her nipples with his tongue, first one, then the other, sucking and flicking with his tongue in turn. 

Persephone writhed beneath him, her eyes closed, lost in sensation. Her cries grew louder, the thrusting of her hips faster, until suddenly her back arched and her eyes flew open, mouth shaped in a soundless “Oh!” as an orgasm crashed over her. Hades’s eyebrows shot up, lips and tongue continuing their ministrations until she collapsed beneath him.

He sat back on his haunches as she regarded him from under heavy eyelids. “Well,” he smiled. “That’s new.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is in progress! I hope to be ready to publish soon.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for. Sorry it took me a million years to get it written and edited and published.
> 
> A million thank yous to my great friend scholarlydragon for helping me write this chapter. I couldn't have done it without them.

Persephone looked up at him from under heavy eyelids. "Take my pants off," she replied hoarsely.

He grinned. "It would be my pleasure to." Hooking his thumbs into her waistband, he began to pull her pants down over her hips. He shifted down along her body as he worked, dropping kisses on to her belly. "Fates, if you're that responsive to a mouth on your nipple..."

Persephone whined in response, lifting her ass to help, panting.

Hades eased down her bottoms, revealing the simple briefs beneath, and pulled the pants free of her legs.

Persephone watched him, lifting her legs so he could pull her pants off. She shivered now that there was nothing between them but a thin layer of cotton.

He stretched out on the bed beside her, kissing her belly before lifting his head to watch her face. He splayed one hand over her stomach, the heel of his palm over her navel. "Sweetness, are you all right?"

"Yes," she said, shuddering with arousal at his touch on her belly. "I've never been so turned on in my entire life." She reached down and started wriggling out of her underwear. "I am sick not being naked with you!" she groaned, struggling to get them over her hips.

"Easy, cricket. Easy." He laid his hands over hers. "I've got you and I'll not leave you wanting." He took over drawing down her underwear. "You are in control of anything that happens. If you are unsure, or you don't like it, or you just need to slow down, you only need say so." Her underwear slipped to mid-thigh.

"Okay," she replied, "but will you please hurry?" She kicked her legs in an effort to get the underwear the rest of the way down her legs.

He chuckled. "So impatient." He whisked off the underwear, tossing it over the side of the bed. Hades returned his hands to her hips, kneeling next to her. "Open for me, Kore?"

She spread her legs for him, bending them at the knees, chest heaving, and Hades groaned at the sight of her wet pink flesh. He lowered himself to lie between her thighs, raining kisses over her belly and slowly working his way lower.

Persephone spread her legs wider, resting her hand on his head, as Hades kissed lower into the soft curls covering her mound. Persephone made a needy noise and tilted her hips upward in invitation as his arms encircled her hips, his hands sliding palm up under her back to massage against her skin. She ached for him.

He kissed gently against her furrow, before darting his tongue out and dragging a quick lick upward along her lips.

"Ah!" she jerked involuntarily. "Hades," she breathed.

He smiled against her core and did it again, drawing out the caress slowly, barely slipping between her lips, and she moaned and ground her hips up, begging.

Hades pressed his tongue into her, separating her folds gently, and searching out her clit. He circled it slowly with the tip of his tongue before dragging the flat of his tongue over the hard little bud.

Persephone cried out, her body curling inward, then flexing backward. Her hips stuttered up as she collapsed on the bed. "Fates," she gasped. Hades hummed against her and did it once more as she curled in again, body trembling. 

"Please don't stop," she begged

"Never, Kore," he whispered heatedly against her flesh. He began sweeping his tongue against her in long strokes, delving shallowly inside at the start and finishing each stroke with a long lick against her clit. She lay back, undulating her hips in rhythm with his strokes, gasping and moaning and she felt the thrum start in her belly again. Her hips bucked faster and she whined with need.

On another lick, he kept his tongue on her clit, flexing it gently for a moment, before he closed his lips over it, sucking rhythmically.

The thrum turned into a roar and Persephone jerked and cried out, her thighs clasping around Hades’ head as she quivered and pulsed her completion. Hades rode out her orgasm, keeping the rhythmic suction. As it began to diminish, he slipped a finger inside her. Persephone gasped and she felt herself clamp down on his finger. 

"Wha-ah!"

Her arousal started to build once more, Hades suckling lightly at her clit and stroking deeply into her. Persephone found herself thrusting into his finger, spreading her legs as far as she could, trying to take it deeper.

Hades added a second finger, stretching them apart lightly inside her. She moaned and thrust harder as a third finger slipped inside, flexing slowly as his mouth tormented her clit.

She came again suddenly, ferociously, clamping down on his fingers with a wail and curling into herself.

Hades pulled his mouth from her clit, keeping his fingers inside, probing firmly inside her as he moved up her body and took her mouth in a searing kiss. Persephone came again, hard, as he found the sensitive patch inside her sheath. She collapsed, chest heaving, limbs heavy. "Fates," she murmured.

Hades kissed her, swallowing the oath with a smile. He whispered against her mouth, thrusting his fingers slowly, prodding that place inside. "You are gorgeous when you come, cricket. Would you like more?"

"A minute," she mumbled, "please. So much..."

Hades nodded and withdrew his fingers gently, leaving his hand cupping her mound. He stretched out beside her, propped up on his elbow. Persephone sank bonelessly into the mattress, chest heaving. 

"How...I didn't...how?" she huffed. Hades grinned. 

"A bit different from doing it yourself, hmm?"

She nodded frantically. "I didn't know...so many...how?!" she gasped.

"I suspect you could have more than that." He smiled. "We'll have to see how good your stamina is sometime."

"Hades," she said after a moment.f

"Yes, Sweetness?"

"I want you inside me."

Hades inhaled sharply, his cock twitching visibly at the simple request. He leaned over and kissed her deeply, whispering against her lips, “Spoon with me?"

She looked at him, puzzled.

He coaxed her over to lie on her side, her back to his chest. He gently drew her upper leg back and over his own, opening her to him. "You're small and I'm quite... large." He whispered. "I thought this might be more comfortable the first time."

She nodded, understanding, and sank back into his chest, lacing the fingers of her bottom hand with his

Hades curled around her, shifting so that his erection thrust along her wet lips. He worked it back and forth for a few strokes. "When you're ready, cricket," he said in a strangled whisper, "reach down to position me against you and take me in."

Persephone moaned as his shaft slid along her wet sex. She reached down pressed him to her entrance. "Hades," she whispered. He pressed forward, broaching her with the head of his erection and stopped, trembling. 

He buried his face in her hair and said in a trembling voice, "Take me as much as you can, sweetness. Adjust as you need to. You set the speed."

Persephone pressed down on him, gasping as he slid into her. She paused about halfway, withdrew slightly, and took him the rest of the way. She clung to his hand, trembling. Hades exhaled raggedly into her hair, holding her close and tighter and he slid fully into her. 

"Kore," he whispered reverently. "Oh, Kore..."

"Hades," She panted. "Fates!" She moved on him slightly, having trouble getting leverage. She whined in frustration.

"Easy," he purred. "Here." He withdrew and thrust slowly, giving her plenty of time to adjust.

She let out a low groan. "I didn't know it could feel so good," she whispered. She reached back to cup his cheek. "Please don't stop."

Hades kissed her hand, splaying one hand over her belly to pull her back against him with each thrust. Persephone found her rhythm and began moving with him. Her soft ohs and ahs punctuated his slow thrusts

He groaned as she began pushing back against him. His hand on her belly slid down and his fingers slipped between her spread legs, rubbing against her swollen clit. Persephone cried out, grinding down on his fingers. He rubbed and stroked her lovingly, inside and out. 

"Ah, sweetness," he whispered. "So good. I can't wait to feel you coming around me, squeezing me so tightly."

Persephone closed her eyes and sighed, reveling in the sensation of him filling her, stretching her. This is how I imagined it. She slid her arm down to place an encouraging hand on Hades' ass, gripping and kneading his muscular flesh. His fingers on her clit shot bolts of pleasure through her belly, echoed by the steady thrum that grew in her sheath.

* * *

  
  
Hades closed his eyes at the feeling of her small hand on his ass, so sweet and encouraging. "How are you doing with the pace, cricket?" He asked softly. "Think you can handle a little harder?"

She nodded. "Yes, please," she breathed.

Pulling back, he drove into her firmly, wanting a harder pace, but not wanting to hurt or overwhelm her. He withdrew and thrust once more with a snap of his hips. "How is that?"

Persephone grunted as her sheath began to clench around him, rippling down his length. "H-Hades," she gasped, "I-I think I'm...Ah!" She bore down on him in an intense spasm that lasted for long seconds and left her breathless.

Hades let out a sharp cry at the clenching of her sheath. "Ah, fuck. So sweet." He rained kisses against her shoulder.

"More, please," she begged.

Hades drove into her with a possessive growl, hilting with each thrust. Persephone cried out in pleasure, her climax starting to rise again. "Oh gods," she panted.

He filled her over and over, enraptured at being with her like this after wanting for so long. The change over the last several days was almost dizzying. One hand covered a breast as the other kept the rhythm on her hard nub and he kissed the back of her head as he thrust. "I can't believe you're here with me at last."

Hades felt the wave of her orgasm crest and crash down on her again, and she spasmed around his cock with a cry.

"I've wanted you for so long," she panted.

"And I, you, sweetness. Here," he slipped from her gently and turned onto his back, beckoning her to sit astride him.

Persephone shuddered and whined as he left her. She rolled over onto her knees and mounted him, groaning in unison with Hades as she slowly slid down his length. "I wanted to watch you," he said, reaching up to cup her cheek in one hand.

Persephone rolled her hips experimentally. "Oh!" she gasped, and did it again. "Oh, that feels good," she sighed.

He chuckled. "Pleased to hear it." He bucked into her slowly. "How about that? You should be able to feel me deeper now."

Her eyes flew wide. "Oh, Hades," she breathed. "Ohhhhhhh." She splayed her hands on his stomach and began rolling in a slow rhythm. Hades gripped her thighs and encouraged her motions. 

"That's right, sweetness. Take your pleasure."

Persephone's head fell back, eyes closed in ecstasy, as she slowly drew him in and out of her quivering channel. With a husky moan, she lowered herself onto his chest and kissed him, slow and languorously.

Hades returned the kiss, just as luxuriously, opening his mouth under hers.

"I've laid in this bed thinking of you like this, so many times," he whispered against her lips.

"Really?" she asked, gently nipping his lower lip.

"Yes," he whispered, blushing. "The reality is so much better, though."

"How come?" she asked, matching his blush.

"I can't hold a spark of my imagination," he said softly, rubbing his hands over her shoulders. "I can't touch a figment." He combed his fingers into her hair. "My hand cannot match to the sublime pleasure of feeling you hold me within your body." He thrust into her firmly. "I could not have imagined the reality of you."

She gasped and moaned at his thrust. "Does it feel as good to be inside me as it does to feel you there? Because if not, it doesn't really seem fair," she sighed.

He chuckled. "I'm not sure how I would know that, cricket. Why don't you tell me what it feels like to have me in you."

"Just so full, and… complete. Like something that I didn't even know was missing is back and...oh, the trembling feelings it gives me inside, Hades. Ohhh," she groaned, laying her cheek on his chest and slowly moving her hips up and down on him.

He kissed the top of her head and stroked his hands over her back as he stroked her inside. "Complete," he said quietly. "Yes. Like something I didn't know I was missing." He moved in her slowly, letting her feel every inch of thrust and withdrawal. He lifted her hand, lacing their fingers together. "The feeling of being inside you, sweetness, of you cradling me with your body is perfection I never knew I lacked."

Persephone raised her head to capture his lips with her own, then grabbed him around the neck and rolled him over on top of her. "Hades," she whispered. "Make love to me, please."

"Sweetness, I'd be delighted." He began rolling his hips against hers in long, slow thrusts. She pulled her knees up to her chest, opening herself to him as far as she could. 

"Ah," she moaned. "Fates, you feel so good!"

"Let's see if I can't make you feel even better," he grinned. "I want to feel you coming around me."

Her eyes went wide. "O-okay, I'll try."

He angled his hips to rub the head of his cock against her g spot on every in stroke.

"Oh!" she cried. Her sheath began to quiver almost immediately. "OH!" She gripped his shoulders, gasping.

Hades grinned, starting down at her, his hair falling in his face. "That's it, cricket. Come on, now."

She gasped, her breath coming faster. "Ah...Ah...AH!" Her body curled inward and she pressed her forehead into his shoulder. "HADES!" She clamped down on him hard, her orgasm washing over her.

Hades groaned and wrapped one arm around her curled torso, supporting her as she spasmed. He gritted his teeth, holding back his own climax with no little effort. She shuddered and jerked as the waves washed over her. She finally went limp, clinging to him desperately. "Hades," she whispered.

He let her back down to the bed gently. "That was utterly amazing, Kore." He grinned mischievously. "How do you feel now?"

"Amazing," she breathed. "Hades, I want you to come."

"I will, sweetness. I will. But I want to feel that beautiful body spasm around me again." He drove against her in long, deep thrusts. "Let me feeling that climax build once more and I shall come with you."

She nodded, crushing her lips against his. Her body responded to his movements almost immediately and she felt the telltale quivers start to spread. Hades kept up the kiss as he stoked her higher and higher, his tongue imitating his slow strokes within her. Persephone gasped against his mouth, then cried out as she came again, her nails digging into his shoulders as her sheath rippled around him.

His lips curved into a loving smile as he drew back from the kiss to watch her climax. "You're beautiful," he whispered softly, and hilted once more as he let go, his release filling her.

Persephone gasped again as she felt his completion inside her. She looked up at him, wide-eyed.

Hades closed his eyes and shuddered through the first hard surges of orgasm before looking down at her once more with a shy, sweet smile.

She brushed the hair out of his eyes and cupped his cheek in her hand. "Was that...alright?" she whispered. 

"So much better than alright," he whispered, bending to kiss her. "You looked startled. Are _ you _ all right?"

"Oh, yes. I just didn't know I'd be able to feel it when you...when you..." she blushed furiously. 

He gave her teasing grin. "When I came inside you?"

Her blush deepened, and she nodded. He turned his head to kiss her palm gently. "Tell me what you're thinking right now."

She sighed, and stretched beneath him. "I'm thinking that I want to snuggle. And then I want to do it again." She smiled shyly. 

He laughed. "I'm sure we can arrange that." Hades withdrew gently from her and settled on the bed, drawing her into a hug. Persephone pressed her body into his, wrapping her arms around him and peppering his chest with kisses

Hades let out a shuddering sigh. "Sweetness... Cricket, I have no words."

"So...you liked it?" she asked shyly.

"Kore," he said softly, "'like' does not even begin to describe how I feel about making love with you."

She blushed and buried her face in his chest.

"So shy." He brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek. "Why, love? Did you like it?" She nodded, burrowing further. Then she started to giggle.

"And just what is so funny?" he teased 

She giggled harder, then burst into full-on laughter. She rolled over onto her back with a belly laugh. "I just feel so...good."

Hades lay on his side, watching her with a warm smile, propped up on one elbow. He rubbed one hand gently over her belly. "I'm pleased to hear it. You came seven times, you ought to be feeling pretty damn good.” He watched her giggle quietly, smiling softly. “I do so love watching you laugh."

After a few moments he drew her close again, pressing kisses against her skin. Avoiding eye contact, he murmured, "Kore... You've always been welcome to stay here as long as you needed. But- stay with me, please? Always? Move out of the guest room to this one." He looked up at her finally, through his disheveled hair, a hopeful, vulnerable look in his red eyes. "I want to fall asleep holding you every night and wake up with you every morning."

Persephone's eyes met his, and her lips trembled. "You mean, live here? Like it's m-my home?"

"Yes, cricket," he said quietly, nervously. "Would you make your home with me?"

Her eyes grew wet, and then the tears overflowed as she nodded wordlessly, pressing a hand to her mouth to stifle the sob.

"Oh, sweetness. Don't cry. Please." He shifted up and gathered her across his lap, leaning back against the headboard. He held her tightly and teased, "I swear it's selfishness. This bed gets so cold, sometimes, you see."

She hiccuped a laugh against his neck. "You're lying. I can tell from the dog hair that Cerberus sleeps in here with you, and he's like a furnace." She plucked a long white hair off his chest. "Big John, too."

He smiled to hear her laugh and whispered against her ear, "The dogs can't warm me like you do."

She wiggled on his lap with a giggle, then sighed. Wiping her cheeks, she sat up and looked at him, taking his face in her hands. "Is it just because you feel sorry for me?"

He gazed at her seriously. "Kore, I ask this because I love you, and the idea of not being with you is more painful than I'd have expected. If this was due to your circumstances, you'd be welcome to the guest room for as long as you needed it. Truthfully, I've enjoyed the company." He took one of her hands and kissed her palm. "I'm asking this because I want you with me."

"I want you with me, too," she whispered, pressing her forehead to his, tears overflowing again. Long moments passed before she looked up at him with a shy smile. "Well, then. I’ll stay and make my home with you.” 

He grinned. 

"So you'll move in? Officially?"

She grinned back. 

"Yes.


End file.
